Fundamental injustice

I am glad that some advocacy for past felons has begun to emerge in this state.

Voting rights is a beginning but what really hurts past felons is no protection from discrimination in employment and housing. Of course it is appropriate and rightful for employers and landlords to prevent some past offenders from entering their work force or their rentals. Those who are perhaps repetitive offenders or those with sexual or truly violent criminal histories or those whose offense is in direct conflict with the job or housing at hand.

But for the one-time non-violent offender who has served their jail time and met their community custody commitments, there should be no continued punitive impacts. Both housing and employment discrimination are just that.

Most people won’t care about this sort of thing until it impacts someone they know. But there is a principle here that is valid and the fact of the matter is that there exists an injustice. It’s really not voting rights that keep people with criminal history from committing crimes again. It is more likely the inability to find suitable employment and suitable housing.

Introduction of the voting bill is a step forward and I applaud the bill sponsors, but the problem needs to be viewed more practically. It is discrimination and the fundamental injustice it creates.

Stephanie Zurenko

Spokane