TEN PRINCIPLES OF ACTION
1) To develop a national movement of formerly-incarcerated people and people with past convictions so we can build political power for our communities.
2) To eliminate the lifelong punishment resulting from past convictions or imprisonment. To achieve full restoration of the rights of formerly-incarcerated/convicted people.
3) To advocate for the human rights of currently and formerly-incarcerated persons.
4) To effectively advocate for alternatives to incarceration, both for young people and for adults; to encourage mother and child alternatives to incarceration for women.
5) To stop the expansion of the Prison Industrial Complex.
6) To implement a Bill of Rights that will guarantee prison visiting rights, stop the exploitation of prisoners’ labor, stop corporate profiteering from prison telephone surcharges, ensure quality medical care for prisoners, end fast-track adoptions, end all forms of discrimination based on past convictions, and stop the deportation of juveniles and parents away from their families.
7) To encourage change in government policy in order to make enough resources available to ensure the greatest likelihood of success for people coming out of prison.
8) To stop politicians and others from using crime rates and parole violations to advance their careers.
9) To overcome the stigma and change public perception of who we are; to show our successes instead of allowing the media and others to focus only on our failures.
10) To overcome the fear and heal the shame associated with being a convicted felon or former prisoner.
