NEW REPORT BY THE U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS:  In one of its most bipartisan (but still not all that bipartisan) moments, Commission members agree that there are too many collateral consequences to felony convictions.  (For example, ex-offenders are prohibited from taking too many jobs and excluded from too many aspects of the “social safety net” in ways that may well increase recidivism).  Still, in my statement (with my fellow Commissioner Peter Kirsanow), we had to point out that our colleagues’ approach to collateral consequences was too one-sided.  Not all of such consequences are bad.

Our most important point:  The particular collateral consequence our colleagues are most upset about is the exclusion of ex-offenders from voting.  This just happens to be the least important one when it comes to getting ex-offenders jobs and stable living situations.  Yet they give it more extended treatment (and describe it in more dramatic terms) than any other aspect of the problem.  It’s a curious thing …

Full report here.