FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 14, 2009
CONTACT:
Joyce Hamilton Henry, (407) 340-3550; jhamiltonhenry@aclufl.org; or media@aclufl.org
ORLANDO, Fla. – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida Central Chapter will host a free Rights Restoration Workshop on Saturday, September 26, 2009 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. to assist ex-offenders in successfully re-integrating into society by restoring their fundamental rights. According to a report issued earlier this year by the ACLU of Florida, Still Voteless and Voiceless in Florida: Florida’s Continuing Disenfranchisement Crisis, over one million Floridians are still barred from voting due to a past felony conviction. Approximately 950,000 Floridians have completed all terms of their incarceration and/or supervision.
The Rights Restoration Workshops have been successful throughout the state of Florida in assisting thousands of applicants with the Restoration of Civil Rights (RCR) procedure, which seals and expunges individuals’ criminal records.
“We have a growing number of local and regional organizations in Central Florida that are committed to helping disenfranchised individuals navigate the contours of Florida clemency process,” said Heather Gupte, Chapter Chair of the ACLU of Florida Central Chapter. “In reality, what we need is to change Florida’s disenfranchisement law and create a process that automatically restores one’s civil rights.”
WHAT: Rights Restoration Workshop
WHEN: Saturday, September 26, 2009 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
WHERE: Painters and Allied Trades Local Union 1010
2153 West Oak Ridge Road
Orlando, FL 32809
(Oak Ridge Rd at Millenia Blvd)
WHO: American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida
FOR MORE INFORMATION: (407) 340-3550
About the ACLU of Florida
The ACLU of Florida is freedom's watchdog, working daily in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend individual rights and personal freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. For additional information, visit our web site at: www.aclufl.org.
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