Ronald Fraser writes on public policy issues for the DKT Liberty Project, and recently published “Life after Prison in Virginia” in 43 regional papers across 21 states. The authorities seem appropriately embarrassed about some of these injustices. Here’s a clip:

With each criminal conviction the state of Virginia matter-of-factly tells the defendants how long they will spend behind bars. Hidden from view, in the “fine-print,” is a long list of additional penalties attached to these convictions.

Only upon leaving prison and while attempting to rebuild their lives, do offenders experience, first-hand, how these non-prison “collateral consequences” limit or deny their basic rights to housing, food stamps, education, voting, employment, child custody and much more.

You can read the full article here.