Free Republic

Portland’s flailing Mayor, Ted Wheeler, has a new idea, bring in ex-cons who have served decades in prison after being convicted of serious crimes, which can include murder, to patrol the city’s troubled streets. He wants to contract with a San Francisco-based nonprofit, Urban Alchemy (UA) that hires formerly incarcerated convicts to patrol troubled areas to address street-level issues rooted in addiction, mental illness and homelessness. The plan is for Urban Alchemy to deploy outreach patrols in the city center where Portland police have struggled to maintain patrols.“We want to make sure that that presence, the things we need in...

These TikToks Are Why Closing Insane Asylums Was A Bad Idea When you want the right answer, go to TikTok and then do the opposite. Modern Day Women Are Delusional

New York state lawmakers on Thursday were negotiating a $2.1 billion fund that would give unemployment benefits to illegal immigrants and former inmates — possibly providing some recipients with around $28,000. Legislators and Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office were hashing out details of the “Excluded Worker Fund,” which would be part of the now-overdue 2021-22 state budget, sources told The Post. The proposal, introduced in the Senate and Assembly two weeks ago, aims to help residents who are otherwise ineligible for federal aid, such as people living in the country illegally or those recently sprung from jail. Advocates — who are...

'He came to Minneapolis about five years ago from Houston. He wanted to escape the criminal environment he was in and after he was released from prison he made the move to Minneapolis to start fresh,' she said. Ross said Floyd had turned his life around since moving to the city. ... 'Floyd's dream was to open up our own restaurant he even had a named picked our Convict Kitchen. Floyd wanted to hire ex-convicts to work at the restaurant to give them a second chance like he was given. 'Floyd even had some of the foods picked out that...

A Phoenix father was sentenced to eight years in prison for manslaughter after he beat a man to death outside a Phoenix convenience store in August 2018. Melvin Harris III, 41, admitted to investigators he punched a man, later identified as Leon Armstrong, outside the QuikTrip on 19th and Dunlap avenues. Harris had gone to the convenience store to pick up his daughter and her friends when Armstrong asked him for money in the parking lot, police say. After getting money from Harris, Armstrong went inside the QT store. Harris's daughter and her friends came out of the store and...

More than 100 ex-cons granted voting rights by Gov. Andrew Cuomo a couple of months ago have had them revoked after violating parole or committing new crimes, it was disclosed Tuesday. Social justice advocates applauded the governor when he signed an executive order in May authorizing conditional pardons for 24,086 parolees so they could vote before completing their sentences.

Southern Poverty Law Center is regarded by many journalists as the gold standard for information on hate groups. But its record is dotted with inconsistencies—it has itself engaged in hateful discourse against some traditionally minded organizations: branding the Family Research Council a hate group is one glaring example. Not as well known are its more subtle ways of emitting bias. SPLC issued a statement about a federal court judge’s decision against Matt Hale, an imprisoned neo-Nazi who sued the Federal Bureau of Prisons for violating his religious rights; prison facilities monitored his mail ~ U.S. District Judge Marcia Krieger of...

To make public-sector jobs more accessible to convicts, President Obama has issued a new order prohibiting federal agencies from asking candidates about criminal history when applying for positions. It’s part of the commander-in-chief’s mission to reduce barriers to reentry and employment for incarcerated individuals once they leave jail. The new measure, announced in a Friday media dump, will affect tens of thousands of federal government positions funded with taxpayer dollars. Government often tries to escape fallout by burying controversial or bad news right before the weekend, but it’s difficult to keep this outrageous development below the radar. At the president’s...

Army Spc. Michael Sharkey was stationed in Hawaii when he learned that a pair of ex-cons had broken into his New Port Richey, Florida, home and claimed it as their own. By the time Sharkey was able to return home, Julio Ortiz and Fatima Cardosa had already changed all of the locks and established residency with his address. “They are criminals,” the soldier told local news affiliate WFLA. “I am serving my country, and they have more rights to my home than I do.” Legally, there was nothing Skarkey could do. But bikers don’t always care as much about the...

De Blasio gets policing advice — from ex-cons Forget Ray Kelly, Bill de Blasio is getting his policing advice from the real experts — hardened criminals. A group of 50 ex-cons, junkies and chronic vagrants gathered at a Manhattan “Think Tank” Thursday to describe what they thought the NYPD should be doing to make their lives easier. The felonious forum outlined a clear “get-soft-on-crime” vision. “I like the idea of ending stop and frisk. That was the first thing that was totally there for me,” opined Mikell Green-Grand, a 49-year-old former jailbird who has convictions for grand larceny and identity...

Former vice presidential adviser I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby is among more than 1,000 felons whose voting rights were restored in the past year by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, according to a report to the General Assembly. Libby’s name is listed in the Feb. 23 report on pardons, commutations, reprieves and other forms of clemency the Republican governor is required to submit annually. Without elaboration, the report says Libby’s civil rights were restored Nov. 1, 2012. … In Virginia, only the governor can restore felons’ civil rights. McDonnell has streamlined the process and, consequently, has restored the rights of more than...

Lorenzo had a hard time concealing his nervousness. Standing in front of a large room packed with Boeing employees in late March, the tall, lanky African American gang member described the arc of his life. At 22, he had spent nearly a third of his life incarcerated. Peering out of his round, black-rimmed glasses, he talked about his seven months at Homeboy Industries (the largest gang reentry program in the country), and about how he had moved quickly from the janitorial team to become an assistant in the accounting department. "I used to steal money," he said. "Now I'm counting...

Green jobs training programs provide a great opportunity for the nation's underserved communities to gain valuable work training to help lift them up out of poverty. This includes individuals that have served prison sentences. A Recovery Act-funded green jobs training program in Chicago will help provide jobs for 650 ex-convicts. And the green jobs for cons trend isn't limited to the Midwest; inmates at San Quentin State Prison in California recently were treated to a green jobs fair.

<p>SALISBURY, Md. — The body of a Maryland girl who authorities say was abducted by a registered sex offender was found Friday after thousands of volunteers fanned out to look for her.</p> <p>Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis said that the body of 11-year-old Sarah H. Foxwell was discovered at about 4 p.m. near the Delaware state line. He offered few other details. Thomas J. Leggs Jr., 30, has been charged in her kidnapping.</p>

RICHMOND | Civil rights organizations are asking Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine to sign an executive order restoring the rights of nearly 300,000 felons before he leaves office in January. Virginia and Kentucky are the only two states that permanently strip felons of their civil rights, such as voting, serving on juries or holding public office. In Virginia, the power to restore those rights lies solely with the governor. Mr. Kaine has restored rights to more than 4,000, felons, a greater number than under any other Virginia governor. He and former Gov. Mark Warner, a fellow Democrat, restored more altogether than...

By Roy Beck, Thursday, March 19, 2009, 11:11 AM Today's news reports on Pres. Obama's visit to California include a touching interaction with an ex-convict who has lost his job. But his comments about making sure that illegal aliens keep THEIR jobs illustrates the common occurrence of really smart people at the top of our government who just don't get it. They don't understand that there are a limited number of U.S. jobs and that when you fill those jobs with foreign workers (including illegal ones) American workers lose out. Look at what happened . . . This is from...

AP News item - "Hoping to prevent convicts from being shut out of the work force, some major U.S. cities are eliminating questions from their job applications that ask whether prospective employees have ever been convicted of a crime."When most people fill out a job application, the main concern usually is whether they can make themselves seem impressive enough to get the job. But when you have a criminal record, it's all about getting a fair shake when they know you've made a serious mistake. In many ways, it's a leap of faith. Ask any ex-con looking for work in...

WASHINGTON -- Nearly 12 percent of Army recruits who entered basic training this year needed a special waiver for those with criminal records, a dramatic increase over last year and 2 1/2 times the percentage four years ago, according to new Army statistics obtained by the Globe. With less than three months left in the fiscal year, 11.6 percent of new active-duty and Army Reserve troops in 2007 have received a so-called "moral waiver," up from 7.9 percent in fiscal year 2006, according to figures from the US Army Recruiting Command. In fiscal 2003 and 2004, soldiers granted waivers accounted...

The Metropolitan Police Department has licensed private security officers in the D.C. public school system despite past arrests on charges of assault, cocaine possession and passing counterfeit money, according to a draft report by the D.C. inspector general. "There are contracted security personnel working in [public schools] who may pose a risk to the secure environment of students and staff," the draft document states. "There is no assurance that all contracted school security personnel possess the requisite skills to ensure the safety and security of ... students and faculty," according to the report, which has not yet been finalized. The...

Domestic Hypocrisy: Martha Stewart’s “Apprentice” Lie March 16, 2005 By Debbie Schlussel Amidst the Second Coming of Martha Stewart, the Domestic Diva told another big lie. But not a single member of the pandering media has taken note. Remember the empathetic Martha’s exhortations from prison about poor treatment of convicts when they’re released from prison? Stewart decried the lack of employment for convicts. No-one will hire them, she complained. No-one, including Martha. Even before she was released from Camp Cupcake in Alderson, West Virginia, Stewart’s production partner, reality TV king Mark Burnett, was holding auditions for Martha’s version of “The...