(Above) Stetson Law School BLSA helped about 100 people with restoration of civil rights yesterday at a Juneteenth celebration in St. Pete on June 21, 2008. Stetson BLSA members, with the assistance of supervising attorneys, handled about 50 phone calls, assisted 50 in person, and completed 25 restoration applications. The majority of people had lost rights due to drug offenses, suspended driver?s license, and theft.
Recent FRRC Clips
More ex-cons' voting rights restored
The Miami Herald, June 14, 2007
Give Florida's ex-felons a reason to stay straight
Palm Beach Post, March 1, 2007
Restoring rights quickly is revisited: Gov. Crist now says he is open to excluding released felons whose crimes were violent.
St. Petersburg Times, March 2, 2007
Giving ex-offenders a chance to make good
Tallahassee Democrat, February 26, 2007
Crist: I'll restore felons' rights
St. Petersburg Times, February 22, 2007
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Governor's Ex-Offender Task Force Final Report to the Governor
Governor's Ex-Offender Task Force Analysis of State's Responses to Executive Order
News Releases
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FLORIDA RIGHTS RESTORATION COALITION URGES GOVERNOR CRIST TO EASE VOTERS REGISTRATION PROCESS FOR THOSE WITH RESTORED RIGHTS
Office of Executive Clemency Could Include Florida Voter Application
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, December 6, 2007
CONTACT:
Muslima Lewis, Racial Justice Project Director, (786) 363-2708
Brandon Hensler, Director of Communications, (786) 363-2722
TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC) www.restorerights.org today kicked off their effort to urge Governor Crist to direct the Office of Executive Clemency to include a Florida Voter registration application with the Certificate of Restoration of Civil Rights that goes out to each individual notifying them of restoration of their civil rights. A copy of the FRRC’s letter to Governor Crist is located at: www.restorerights.org.
“The FRRC asks the Governor to simply require the Office of Executive Clemency to include a voter registration application form with the rights restoration certificates they’re already sending to individuals to ease the process of registering to vote,” said Muslima Lewis, Senior Staff Attorney and Racial Justice Project Director, ACLU of Florida, a founding member of the FRRC.
“The state should implement a process of registering ex-felons to vote that is as aggressive and proactive as the measures that it has historically used to take citizens’ rights away when they are convicted, “ said Marian Bacon White, President of the FRRC and President of the Eleventh Episcopal District Lay Organization of the A.M.E. Church of Florida.
Although the FRRC is encouraged by the recent clemency rule changes that Crist initiated to streamline the restoration of civil rights (RCR) process for certain offenders, his leadership is still needed to accomplish further reforms to the RCR process and to implement the FRRC’s requested changes to simplify the voter registration process for these citizens.
For individuals seeking assistance to restore their civil rights please call us toll free at: 877 826 8682 or 877-U-COUNT-2.
The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition is a coalition of over 40 national, state and local organizations dedicated to eradicating Florida’s Reconstruction era civil rights ban. FRRC member organizations host Restoration of Civil Rights (RCR) workshops, lobby the Clemency Board and the legislature for RCR reform, and create public awareness of the unfair ban on civil rights, including voting rights, in Florida. For additional information, visit our Web site at: www.restorerights.org
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