ABOUT THE FLORIDA RIGHTS RESTORATION COALITION

Mission Statement

It is the mission of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition ("FRRC") to have Florida join the 40 states in the nation that automatically restore the civil rights of all individuals with past felony convictions upon completion of non-monetary terms of their sentences.

Background

Florida is one of only three states that strip all individuals with past felony convictions of their civil rights, including their fundamental right to vote, even after completion of their sentences. Among the civil rights lost is not only the right to vote, but also the right to serve on a jury and to hold public office. Restoration of civil rights is also necessary to obtain certain occupational licenses.

Individuals with a past conviction must have their civil rights restored through the executive clemency process. Only the Governor and his cabinet, sitting as the Board of Executive Clemency, have the power to restore civil rights. The entire process is complicated and takes years. Even then, since the decision rests in the sole discretion of these politicians, there is no guarantee that an individual's rights will be restored.

In response to this civil rights crisis, a broad non-partisan coalition was organized in March 2003 to launch a campaign for the restoration of civil rights for all Floridians with past felony convictions upon completion of their sentences. The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition ("FRRC") now has over 40 local, state and national member organizations. The FRRC is dedicated to achieving permanent constitutional reform to end the disenfranchisement of close to one million Floridians.

As we continue to advocate for constitutional reform, the FRRC is also the state's most active and vocal advocate for wholesale reform of the executive clemency process to make civil rights restoration virtually automatic. The FRRC and its member organizations also sponsor workshops throughout the state to assist people who have a prior felony conviction with the rights restoration process.

Members of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition

Organizations

A. Philip Randolph Institute, Miami-Dade Chapter
ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)
ACLU of Florida
Advancement Project
Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities
Better Way of Miami, Inc.
The Brennan Center for Justice
Brothers of the Same Mind
Citizens with Criminal Backgrounds
Concerned United People (CUP)
Congregations United for Community Action (CUCA)
Demos
Determination, Education, Justice, Acceptance (DEJA)
Eleventh Episcopal District Lay Organization of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
F. Malcolm Cunningham, Sr. Bar Association
Florida ACORN
Florida AFL-CIO
Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Florida Cannabis Action Network
Florida Coalition on Black Civic Participation
Florida Congress on Racial Equality
Florida Conference of NAACP Branches
Florida Council of Churches
Florida Institutional Legal Services
Florida Justice Institute
Florida Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) State Chapter
Florida Voters League
Gray Panthers of South Florida
Homeless/Formerly Homeless Forum
Human Services Coalition
Inner City Grassroots Civic Coalition
International People?s Democratic Uhuru Movement
Justice Fellowship
Labor Line, Inc.
Latino Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) Central FL Chapter
Latino Leadership
Law Offices of Public Defender Bennett H. Brummer - Miami-Dade County
League of Women Voters of Florida
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition
Movement for Change
National Lawyers Guild Gainesville
Office of Public Defender Carey Haughwout - Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County Urban League & Young Professionals Group
Peace and Justice Subcommittee of the Presbytery of Tampa Bay
People for the American Way Foundation
Project Civil Rights Restoration
Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
The Sentencing Project
Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project (SVREP)
T.J. Reddick Bar Association
The March for Justice
Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter of the National Bar Association
Voice of Freedom
Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. Bar Association
YWCA of Greater Miami

Individuals

Michael T. Hargrett, Sr.
David Money