Discrimination in America: How it Still Exists and Who it Affects

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract

While a great amount of change has taken place over the last fifty years, focusing on ending discrimination faced by specific groups of people; one group that has been afforded little in the way of legal protection against discrimination is individuals with criminal records. Although some believe that businesses and individuals need the right to deny service to former offenders to protect themselves from possible harm by a group of people who have shown a disregard for the law in the past, this roundtable will highlight how such policies allow for the continued marginalization of reformed offenders who have clearly turned their lives around. Several established criminologists with felony records will discuss specific ways in which they have continued to face discrimination, after they had clearly gone straight and established themselves professionally. Alongside this, the roundtable will also explore the broader implications of allowing such discrimination to continue.

Sub Unit

• Area VIII: Roundtables

Chair

• Brian E. Oliver, Brian Oliver Consulting

Discussants

• Michael Lenza, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

• Alan Mobley, San Diego State University

• James L. Burnett, Urbana University

• Grace Gamez, Arizona State University

Participant

• Kaitlyn J. Robison, Old Dominion University