unprison: Ten Million Movement: Beyond COINTELPRO, the Demand for Civil Rights Continues in America from the Formerly Incarcerated

"From February 28–March 2, formerly incarcerated people from around the country will gather in Montgomery and Selma to develop a common platform for restoration of civil rights, stopping prison expansion, eliminating excessive punishments, and protecting the dignity of families and communities.  The gathering – called by and for formerly incarcerated people and people with criminal convictions — is the first of its kind in the United States. Representatives from nearly 30 states will gather to establish a national agenda for securing the civil and human rights for the tens of millions people in the U.S. living in prison or jails, on parole or probation, or with a criminal conviction. Having served their sentences and returned home, formerly incarcerated people face circumstances that often seem designed to prevent their full participation in their communities and country. These include stigma for having a criminal conviction, barriers to gaining meaningful employment and decent housing, barriers to constructive educational opportunities, lack of access to healthcare, and denial of voting rights.  It is nothing short of Second, or Third Class Citizenship in the United States, and (if unchecked) serves to create a Third World nation within our borders, with entire communities marked by unemployment and poverty.  Those communities are no longer confined to a housing project, no longer a certain section of “East ___” or “South _____,” as roughly 25% of America has a criminal record.
This is a widespread problem. Consider that there are 2.4 million people incarcerated in prisons and jails in the U.S. today.  Most people currently incarcerated are coming home – according to the Department of Justice, over 700,000 people were released from incarceration in 2006 alone. Across the country, over six million people are under state supervision like parole or probation. There are millions of people who are currently and formerly incarcerated, and millions more who were never incarcerated but have a criminal conviction—all of whom live, every day, without their full civil and human rights.
The gathering takes place in Alabama to re-connect with the rich history of the Civil Rights Movement. March 7 marks the 46th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday March over the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, reminding America of the Civil Rights Movement.
SCHEDULE:
▪                On Monday, February 28, diverse delegates from over 30 states will hold a day-long meeting in Montgomery, AL to map out a national civil and human rights agenda for formerly incarcerated people in the United States.
▪                At 1 p.m. on Tuesday March 1, the eve of the Bloody Sunday anniversary, and with the blessing of Civil Rights veterans from Alabama and beyond, formerly incarcerated people and their allies will march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, signaling their intent to fulfill the promise of the Civil Rights Movement.
▪                On Wednesday March 2 at 10 a.m., the group will hold a rally at the statehouse in Montgomery, just steps away from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s old church.
Participants are attending from around the country. The Gathering Steering Committee is available for comment or interviews:..."

The entire article, with commenting, is at http://unprison.wordpress.com/2011/02/26/ten-million-movement-beyond-cointelpro-the-demand-for-civil-rights-continues-in-america/