Blusmstein, Alfred and Kiminori Nakamura.

Kurlychek, Mega C., Robert Brame and Shawn D. Bushway.

Rodriguez, Barbara. The Des Moines Register.

State corrections officials are hoping to help former inmates find work by making it easier for them to show if they've learned valuable work skills while serving time. The state Board of Parole and Department of Corrections began the formal process of changing state code so that inmates will automatically receive certificates of employability for completing certain skills training in prison, instead of having to apply for such proof.

Wissel, Paula. KPLU News.

A Washington state law will take effect June 9 that will bring down barriers for felons applying for many state professional and business licenses. Governor Inslee also wants to eliminate barriers to apprenticeship programs.

The New York Times.

This editorial discusses how the vocabulary used in corrections is a significant barrier to reintegration. Terms such as "felon" or "convict" are discourages by the Justice Department in favor of "person who committed a crime" or "individual who was incarcerated".

Love, Margaret. Collateral Consequences Resource Center.

In his final week on the bench, in an opinion that may in time prove among his most influential, U.S. District Judge John Gleeson issued a “certificate of rehabilitation” to a woman he had sentenced 13 years before. See Jane Doe v. United States, No. 15-MC-1174 (E.D.N.Y., March 7, 2016) (Jane Doe II). The opinion breaks new ground in holding that federal courts have authority to mitigate the adverse effects of a criminal record short of complete expungement.

Johnson, Carrie. NPR.

This NPR report covers Attorney General Loretta Lynch touring a factory where inmates work at the Talladega Federal Correctional Institution in Talladega, Ala. Attorney General Lynch made the trip to highlight the need for more programs to help inmates transition out of incarceration and re-enter society.

Horne, Jennifer. The Council of State Governments Knowledge Center.

The blog post discusses the recent executive order from Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe to restore the voting and civil rights of convicted felons. Inside the article is a map of Restoration of Voting Rights for Felons for the entire 50 states.

"These 50 state profiles, plus one for D.C. and another for United States as a whole, draw on graphs made from reports issued as part of our National Incarceration Briefing Series https://www.prisonpolicy.org/national/

"NCSC is the organization courts turn to for authoritative knowledge and information, because its efforts are directed by collaborative work with the Conference of Chief Justices, the Conference of State Court Administrators, and other associations of judicial leaders."