Category Archives: Failed schools education college corruption

Terrifying Truth on Who Obama is NOT Deporting

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Goodlatte Urges DHS to Deport Thousands of Criminal Aliens with Federal Drug Convictions Set to Be Released Next Month

HouseJudiciaryCommittee: On April 30, 2014, the United States Sentencing Commission approved Amendment 782, which modified the United States Sentencing Guidelines to lower the base offense level for federal controlled substances offenses.  Amendment 782 was made retroactive by the Commission. As a consequence, approximately 2,000 convicted criminal aliens whose sentences were reduced are now eligible for release from the Federal Bureau of Prisons on or about November 1, 2015.

In the letter to Secretary Johnson, Chairman Goodlatte urges Secretary Johnson to remove these criminal aliens from the United States, noting that they are the highest enforcement priority based on the Obama Administration’s own written policy for priority enforcement.

Below is the text of Chairman Goodlatte’s letter to Secretary Johnson.

 

October 20, 2015

The Honorable Jeh Johnson
Secretary
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. 20528

Dear Secretary Johnson:

On April 30, 2014, the United States Sentencing Commission approved Amendment 782, which modified the United States Sentencing Guidelines to lower the base offense level for federal controlled substances offenses.  Amendment 782 was made retroactive by the Commission. As a consequence, approximately 6,000 convicted criminals whose sentences were reduced by the sentencing court pursuant to Amendment 782 are now eligible for release from the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) on or about November 1, 2015, and approximately 8,500 additional prisoners will be eligible for early release by November 1, 2016.  Of the initial 6,000 inmates who will be released early, a significant number – approximately 2,000 – are criminal aliens.  These aliens are removable from the United States, either because they are unlawfully present or because of their criminal convictions.  In fact, based on their convictions for drug trafficking offenses, such aliens are the highest enforcement priority (Priority 1) for the Department of Homeland Security, based on your own written policy for priority enforcement, issued on November 20, 2014.

During your testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on July 14, 2015, Committee Members questioned you about the early release of aliens under Amendment 782.  In response, you stated, “I’m aware of this issue.  I’m aware of the adjustment to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.  I’m aware that a number of individuals will be released as a result.  I’m aware that a number of them are probably undocumented, and we’ve been working with DOJ to do the most effective thing for public safety in that regard.”Given your response, I fully expect that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will issue a detainer with the BOP for each alien expected to be released pursuant to Amendment 782, and that each alien will be taken into custody by ICE, as required by the Immigration and Nationality Act, for purposes of initiating removal proceedings or to execute the removal order of each alien who is already subject to a final order of removal from the United States.

Please confirm whether my expectation will be met and that the Department of Homeland Security is committed to ridding our streets of aliens peddling dangerous and illicit drugs to our children.  Additionally, please provide the following requested information:

    1. The specific number of aliens who will be released early by BOP pursuant to Amendment 782.
    2. Of those alien prisoners, how many have ICE detainers or requests for notification?
    3. Does ICE expect to issue detainers or requests for notification for every alien identified in (1) above prior to the prisoner’s release from BOP custody?
    4. Does ICE expect to take custody of every alien identified in (1) above for the purpose of initiating removal proceedings or to execute a final order of removal?  If not, why not?
    5. Please provide the number of aliens identified in (1) above who will not be taken into ICE custody upon release from BOP and provide an explanation for each alien as to why ICE will not take the alien into custody.

Please provide this information to me by October 30, 2015.  If your office has any questions, please contact Tracy Short, Counsel, Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, at (202) 225-3926.

Sincerely,

Bob Goodlatte
Chairman

**** Summary from Breitbart:

An overwhelming percentage of criminal aliens the Obama administration knows are in the U.S. are not detained but are instead living in neighborhoods and communities across the country, according to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA).

Central American Gang Members AP

“The American public has been misled by the ‘enforcement priorities,’ ‘deferred action,’ and ‘executive action’ policies of this Administration, which categorize only certain quote, unquote ‘serious’ criminal aliens as worthy of immigration enforcement,” Goodlatte said at a House subcommittee hearing examining the victims of illegal immigrant crime. “However, this Administration’s actions demonstrate that it finds it acceptable to permit even serious criminal aliens to prey on our communities.”

According to the House Judiciary Committee, the Obama administration’s enforcement policies have allowed tens of thousands of criminal aliens to remain in the U.S.

“At least 95 percent of convicted criminal aliens known to [the Department of Homeland Security] are not detained,” Goodlatte said at Tuesday’s hearing.

The Virginia Republican argued against immigration activists’ contention that illegal immigration is a “victimless crime,” stressing that the opposite it true — “illegal immigration has consequences that can be devastating,” he said.

“Americans deserve to know why this Administration would release thousands upon thousands of criminal aliens from DHS custody – despite convictions that included a total of 473 homicide-related offenses, 375 kidnappings, 890 sexual assaults, and 10,731 assaults before their release,” he continued.

Goodlatte took additional aim at advocates and Democrats’ argument that the unaccompanied minors from Central America — who have been flooding across the border illegally by the tens of thousands and largely allowed to remain — are all helpless children.

“It is no coincidence that the spike in gang crime occurred during the same time that thousands of Central American minors were illegally entering at the southwest border. Sixty-four percent of validated gang members arrested in Frederick County in 2015 entered illegally through the southwest border as unaccompanied minors,” Goodlatte said, at the time foreshadowing the testimony of Sheriff Charles Jenkins of Frederick County, Maryland.

Goodlatte’s strong words preceded emotional testimony offered by two hearing witnesses whose children were killed by illegal immigrants.

“By releasing known criminal aliens and refusing to secure our border, the Administration has sent a clear message to the American people that their safety and security are far less important than ensuring that illegally present and criminal aliens will remain here,” Goodlatte added.

Keeping America, America? Britain First Action

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Does we have the same attitudes? Is this a call to action in America?

Example…is this happening here in America?

Say NO to Labour’s Muslim mayor!

At a funeral in South London, Sadiq Khan, the local Labour MP and now Labour candidate to be mayor of London, shook hands with convicted terrorist Babar Ahmad, a man who has been blamed for inspiring a generation of extremists, including the gang behind the London bombings of July 7, 2005.

The pair exchanged brief pleasantries before Khan moved on. This happened only a few months ago, around the time of Khan’s nomination as Labour’s mayoral candidate.

Sadiq Khan

Khan shared a platform with Yasser al-Siri, a convicted terrorist and associate of hate preacher Abu Qatada, and Sajeel Shahid, a militant who helped to train the ringleader of the London bombings.

Recently, it emerged that his parliamentary assistant posted a series of highly offensive Islamist, homophobic and misogynistic messages online. Shueb Salar also posed for photos with guns.

Khan was also exposed when it was revealed he ‘followed’ two Isis supporters on Twitter. One posted links to propaganda videos; the other is the brother of a man convicted of supporting insurgents in Afghanistan.

Khan’s former brother-in-law, Makbool Javaid, had links with the extremist group Al-Muhajiroun, an organisation that praised the 9/11 attacks and the 7/7 bombings. Javaid appeared at London events alongside some of the country’s most notorious hate preachers, including the now banned cleric Omar Bakri.

Both before and after Khan became an MP, he shared speaking platforms with Stop Political Terror, a group supported by a man dubbed the ‘Bin Laden of the internet’. Anwar al-Awlaki, an imam linked to Al Qaeda, preached to three of the 9/11 hijackers and became the first American to be targeted and killed in a U.S. drone strike.

Stop Political Terror later merged with Cage, a London campaign group that described the notorious ISIS executioner Jihadi John as “a beautiful young man”.

Russia/Germany Join Abbas Against Israel

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In 2014: Hamas Issues ‘Terrorism 101 Handbook’

Manuals discovered by IDF give how-to tips for terror
****
BDS:  The Boycott/Divest/Sanctions (BDS) Movement against Israel was formally launched in 2005, but really began gathering momentum as a result of the Second Intifada of 2000 and the UN’s World Conference Against Racism in 2001.This Report documents and dissects the BDS’ impact across a broad front of battlefields in the western world. These include economic struggles in corporate boardrooms and among trade unions, BDS’ “academic jihad” against Israel on campuses, the pressure on entertainment and cultural figures to cancel appearances in Israel, and efforts to gain support for BDS from important religious institutions.

Hamas’s link to BDS

Leading expert testifies to Congress over the terror group leading the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.

Terror finance expert describes ‘network’ of ex-fundraisers in organizations linked to Hamas and key pro-boycott organization

ToI: WASHINGTON — The US should boost transparency of nonprofit organizations in order to shed light on ties between a key pro-boycott organization and defunct charities that were implicated in funding Hamas, analyst Jonathan Schanzer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told members of Congress during testimony Tuesday afternoon when two subcommittees of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs met to discuss current threats to Israel.

During testimony, experts including Schanzer highlighted regional nonstate actors such as Iran and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) as key threats to Israel.

The chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade, Ted Poe, described the BDS movement as “a threat which seeks [Israel’s] ultimate destruction.”

Schanzer, a former terror finance analyst for the US Treasury, presented open-source research conducted by his group, the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies which highlighted a network linking Hamas supporters with the leadership of the BDS movement.

The research tracked employees of three now-defunct organizations – the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, Kind Hearts Foundation for Humanitarian Development and the Islamic Association for Palestine — all of which were implicated by the federal government for terrorism finance, specifically of Hamas. A federal court found that the Holy Land Foundation had sent some $12 million to Hamas over the course of a decade

The research yielded what Schanzer described as “a troubling outcome” – with seven key employees of these organizations now associated with the Illinois-based organization American Muslims for Palestine.

Schanzer told members of Congress that the latter is “arguably the leading BDS organization in the US, a key sponsor of the anti-Israel campus network known as Students for Justice in Palestine.” The organization, he said, provides money, speakers, training and even “apartheid walls” to SJP activists on campus, for the annual Israel Apartheid Week events.

“The overlap between AMP, Holy Land, Kind Hearts and the Islamic Association for Palestine is striking,” said Schanzer, but noted that “our open source research did not indicate that AMP or any of these individuals are currently involved in any illegal activity.”

“The BDS campaign may pose a threat to Israel, but the network I describe here is decidedly an American problem,” he warned. Americans for Justice in Palestine raises money as a transparent 501c3 tax-exempt non-profit, which then provides funds for AMP which has the usually temporary designation of a corporate non-profit – a status that is usually transitional en route to a tax-exempt 501c3 organization.

“There appear to be flaws in the federal and state oversight of non-profits charities,” Schanzer complained. Although advocating for increased transparency, Schanzer said that he had a sense from talking to former colleagues that the Treasury was less invested in uncovering charities serving to fund terror networks than in the past.

“BDS advocates are free to say what they want, true or false, but tax advantaged organizations are obliged to be transparent,” Schanzer told the panel. “Americans have a right to know who is leading the BDS campaign and so do the students who may not be aware of AMP’s leaders or their goals.”

The BDS movement was not the only threat cited by the witnesses, who included former peace negotiator and Washington Institute for Near East Policy Distinguished Fellow David Makovsky, American Enterprise Institute Scholar Michael Rubin and the Brooking Institution’s Tamara Coffman Wittes.

Makovsky warned that the current stagnation of peace initiatives could feed further into BDS advances in the US.

The former negotiator warned “that the movement could metastasize beyond college campuses” if there is no peace solution on the ground – after noting that “under the current leadership” he did not envision peace efforts “succeeding in the near future.”

Makovsky said that he was “rather skeptical regarding efforts to put forward parameters at the UNSC,” warning that they “would be interpreted by both sides as an imposed solution and could serve as a baseline for defiance rather than bringing the parties closer.”

“We need to find a way to maintain the viability of a two-state outcome even if we can’t implement a two-state solution today,” he offered.

Makovsky suggested that it was not just the US but also European countries that could provide critical leverage in encouraging the Palestinians to jettison their anti-normalization policy and stop providing funds to families of jailed terrorists.

“The US needs to sensitize our European partners to these issues – given the closeness between Europeans and Palestinians, it would carry weight if the Europeans would practice the same tough love they have urged the United States to administer when it comes to Israel but they are reluctant to do when it comes to our Palestinian friends,” he said.

Belgium Knew of the Network, Europe Knew

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Note: There is the same movement in America but who gets that memo?

This website published an item last month on a very closely related movement in Belgium and honestly across Europe, the Shariah4 movement.

In fact this movement is at least 5 years old.

—- [Hot Issue] The Zerkani Network: Belgium’s Most Dangerous Jihadist Group // Terrorism Monitor – The Jamestown Foundation

In recent months, there have been key developments and insights regarding the notable number of Belgians fighting in Syria and Iraq. A recruitment organization whose existence was unearthed during a series of trials turned out to be one of the most active; the direct implication of the so-called Zerkani network in the Brussels and Paris attacks also makes it the most dangerous one. This analysis serves as an update to my May 2015 article in Terrorism Monitor “How Belgium Became a Top Exporter of Jihad,” and points out significant differences with other Belgian jihadist networks, as well as uncovers the nuances of their links with one another (Terrorism Monitor, May 29, 2015).

About a year ago, the neo-Islamist movement Shariah4Belgium was invariably named as the most significant factor behind the tremendous number of Belgian fighters in the Syrian-Iraqi conflict (Terrorism Monitor, May 29, 2015). According to the latest estimates, that figure can be as high as 589 by now. With 80 of the militants clearly linked to Shariah4Belgium, the network’s importance remains. The Zerkani network comes close, however. Hardly known twelve months ago, the Zerkani network appears to have sent at least 59 people to the jihad in Syria and Iraq (Pieter Van Ostaeyen, April 3). Three of these Zerkani jihadists have played a direct role in Europe’s latest terrorist attacks: Abdelhamid Abaaoud and Chakib Akrouh were perpetrators in Paris, while Najim Laachraoui participated in Brussels and is also suspected of being the bomb maker for both plots (Emmejihad, March 22).

The Zerkani Network’s Origins

The Zerkani network is named after Khalid Zerkani, a 42-year-old Moroccan who was living in the Brussels municipality of Molenbeek. Before sentencing him to twelve years’ imprisonment on July 29 of last year, the judge described him as a “cynical guru.” According to the written judgment of the trial, Zerkani not only indoctrinated very young people up to the point where they were willing to sacrifice themselves, but also encouraged them to commit a slew of petty crimes in order to pay for their journey to death. [1] Though practicing Muslims are not allowed to steal from another, theft among the Zerkani network was whitewashed as taking “ghanima”— the spoils of war. That principle is said to have been introduced into the network by Reda Kriket, a Frenchman living in Belgium who was arrested shortly after the Brussels attacks on suspicion of yet another terrorist plot (Marianne, March 25).

It is not entirely clear whether Zerkani himself has ever been part of the terrorist plots in which his recruits had a role. It is possible that he only aimed at recruiting for a war abroad. The Belgian terrorists responsible for attacking the West after he recruited them may well have been selected and groomed for their deadly European missions behind Zerkani’s back. There are strong indications however, that Zerkani also plotted for that kind of action. As early as 2012, conversations about the need of attacks in the West were overheard by Belgian security services during a meeting in which he took part (Emmejihad, January 26). Moreover, Zerkani did not only recruit for the Syrian jihad; prior, he was linked to at least seven people convicted in Belgium for their cooperation with al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist organization based in Somalia. [2]

Zerkani’s Key Social Ties

Fatima Aberkan, a 55-year-old mother who has sent four of her own sons to the Syrian jihad, was convicted at the same trial as Zerkani. The judge described her as the “pasionaria of the jihad,” highlighting her enormous role in both the indoctrination of recruits and in organizing the logistics of their departure to war. Fatima Aberkan used to be the closest friend of Malika El Aroud, Europe’s most notorious female terror convict to date (Marie Claire, May 15, 2009). It was Aberkan who served as a go-between (with her e-mail address [email protected], to be more precise) for El Aroud and the latter’s second husband, Moez Garsallaoui, after his departure from Belgium in 2007 to become a high ranking member of al-Qaeda in the Afghan-Pakistani border zone. Aberkan was also responsible for providing Nizar Trabelsi—who was convicted for plotting against the U.S. Air Force base in the Belgian town of Kleine Brogel and later rendered to the U.S.—with a mobile phone in prison, adding to existing suspicions of a plot to set him free. [3]

Aberkan’s brother Abdelhouaid, was also convicted as a member of Zerkani’s network, notably for his role in the 2001 assassination of the Afghan anti-Taliban commander, Ahmed Shah Massoud. He was responsible for driving El Aroud’s first husband, Dahmane Abd al-Satter, to the airport for the assassination, which was a suicide mission, and was considered to be preparation for the 9/11 attacks in the U.S. (LeMonde, April 19, 2005).

While Abdelhouaid Aberkan was convicted in Belgium for his part in the assassination of Commander Massoud, another person linked to the Zerkani network was tried in France for the same charge. Abderrahmane Ameuroud, 38, was arrested at a tram stop in the Brussels municipality of Schaarbeek on March 25 of this year, and was then shot in the leg. He is suspected of being part of a terrorist plot for which fellow Zerkani network member, Reda Kriket, had amassed an unprecedented amount of arms and explosives (Libération, March 30). According to the French-Algerian journalist Mohamed Sifaoui, Ameuroud is the youngest of three brothers who all have escalated their lawbreaking habits from petty crimes to Islamic terrorism (Twitter, March 26). Abderrahmane’s brother Reda was expulsed by France for radical sermons he held in a Paris mosque, while Abderrahmane is said to be a veteran of al-Qaeda’s training camps and was named a recruiter for the previous Iraqi jihad more than ten years ago (LeParisien, July 29, 2005).

Zerkani Network vs. Shariah4Belgium

Zerkani’s modus operandi could hardly differ more from that of Shariah4Belgium. The latter was notorious for its highly visible actions, such as public demonstrations and preaching sessions in crowded shopping streets. Zerkani’s organization had no website, no logo, and no distinctive name. Recruiting was done under the guise of offering community sporting activities, while further indoctrination happened in old-fashioned backrooms. While Shariah4Belgium’s leader Fouad Belkacem participated in televised debates and disseminated his sermons via YouTube, even the grainiest picture of Zerkani is extremely hard to locate. Zerkani was always sure to use someone else’s phone while calling abroad, and conversely, he had others in his network carry his phone to avoid being traced and geo-located. According to the court judgment mentioned above, Zerkani’s wariness supplemented the belief that he was trained in the famous Afghan-Pakistani terrorist camps, “as unconfirmed reports claim.” [4]

While most of the people Shariah4Belgium recruited between 2012 and the first months of 2014 were incorporated in the local militia “Majlis Shura al-Mujahideen” of the Syrian commander Amr al-Absi, Zerkani’s early recruits landed within the “Katibat al-Muhajireen,” which was led at the time by the ethnic-Chechen commander Tarkhan Batirashvili, better known as Abu Omar al-Shishani. Both groups were based in the outskirts of Aleppo and cooperated with one another, meaning that Belgian fighters of both networks interacted with each other regularly. Soon after the establishment of the so-called Islamic State (IS), al-Absi and al-Shishani pledged allegiance to the IS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. But as was the case with the Shariah4Belgium recruits, several Zerkani members instead joined rival Jabhat al-Nusra, also known as al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria. What happened later in terms of individual affiliations is difficult to ascertain, though it appears most of the Zerkani recruits finally joined the Islamic State—similar to the many Shariah4Belgium members who had joined IS before them.

A remarkable characteristic of the Antwerp-based and mainly Dutch-speaking Shariah4Belgium is that it ostensibly lacked any link with older networks of the Belgian jihad. Apart from a few links with the remnants of the “Groupe Islamique Combattant Marocain” (GICM), Shariah4Belgium does not seem rooted in Belgium’s extremist past (Emmejihad, June 7, 2014). This could not be more different from the Zerkani network, which operates almost exclusively in French-speaking circles in Brussels.

Although Shariah4Belgium and the Zerkani network have their dissimilarities, they are connected to a certain degree. The recent arrest of Shariah4Belgium convict Bilal El Makhoukhi, 27, in connection to the Brussels attacks, may have resulted from members of both networks having met each other at the Syrian front (De Redactie, April 9) as well as in Belgium. The man at the intersection of the two groups is Jean-Louis Denis, 41. He ran his own recruitment cell for the Syrian jihad, posing as a benefactor distributing food to the homeless near the Brussels “Gare du Nord” railway station. Denis was sentenced to ten years in jail in January 2016 for these charges (Le Soir, January 29). According to the outcome of this trial, he not only publicly declared himself to be the leader of the Brussels chapter of Shariah4Belgium, but even claimed to be in the running to replace its overall leader, Fouad Belkacem, after Belkacem’s arrest in June 2012. [5]

Denis was particularly successful as a recruiter, attracting people who wanted to join the jihad from as far as Martinique. However, he lacked the necessary contacts to get his recruits across Syrian borders. Therefore, he often relied on the social network structures that Zerkani had built. Based upon evidence presented at his trial, it was Denis’s lieutenant, Mohamed Khemir, 37, who served as most important go-between. At least once, Khemir accompanied Zerkani when he brought a young French recruit to the Brussels airport to travel to Syria. Zerkani, Khemir, and Denis were often present at the same meetings, and little by little, both groups almost seemed to merge. In the end, Denis’s entourage looked more like a chapter of Zerkani’s network than as a part of Shariah4Belgium, but left behind a significant number of jihadists who were influenced by both. [6]

Conclusion

Hardly known a year ago, Belgium’s Zerkani network has now been revealed to be the country’s most dangerous jihadist group. Led by the enigmatic Moroccan, Khalid Zerkani, it has sent at least 59 recruits to Syria and Iraq. Most of them have ended up within the terrorist group Islamic State, and at least three have returned to Western Europe to commit the deadly Paris and Brussels terrorist attacks. The modus operandi of the network differs greatly from that of Shariah4Belgium, the more renowned and equally as significant group fueling the high number of Belgian jihadists, though connections between the groups—both in Belgium and in the battlefield—are undoubtedly present.

Guy Van Vlierden is a journalist for the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, specializing in issues relating to terrorist and extremism.

Notes:

[1] Judgment of the ‘Tribunal de Première Instance Francophone de Bruxelles’ issued on July 29, 2015 – in the possession of the author.

[2] Mentioned in the judgment of July 29, 2015 – cfr. Supra

[3] Mentioned in Italian court papers in the possession of the author; Mentioned in the judgment of July 29, 2015 – cfr. Supra.

[4] Mentioned in the judgment of July 29, 2015 – cfr. Supra.

[5] Judgment of the Tribunal de Premi̬re Instance Francophone de Bruxelles issued at January 29, 2016 Рin the possession of the author.

[6] All details mentioned in the judgment of January 29, 2016 – cfr. Supra.

WH to Employers, Make them Preferred Hiring Candidates

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We have been enduring the misguided mission by the White House to release criminals early from their prison sentences ah…you know those that were based on drugs but non-violent. Pssst, the last jail break included 1/3 of them that were in prison for life sentences. Anyway, now the White House is becoming their advisors and promoters to get jobs for them, almost by force. Check this out. The corporations also have to take a pledge?

If employers spent more time implementing better hiring practices, then perhaps this wouldn’t be necessary. There are now more and more ways to find out if your new employee has a criminal record, for example, using something like https://www.nationalcrimecheck.com.au/. But, albeit, we live in a world where not everything is so straight forward.

Is this really the best use of time by the White House?

FACT SHEET: White House Launches the Fair Chance Business Pledge

“Now, a lot of time, [a] record disqualifies you from being a full participant in our society — even if you’ve already paid your debt to society. It means millions of Americans have difficulty even getting their foot in the door to try to get a job much less actually hang on to that job. That’s bad for not only those individuals, it’s bad for our economy. It’s bad for the communities that desperately need more role models who are gainfully employed. So we’ve got to make sure Americans who’ve paid their debt to society can earn their second chance.

– President Barack Obama, Rutgers University, November 2, 2015

Today at the White House, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett, and other White House officials hosted 19 companies from across the American economy who are standing with the Obama Administration as founding pledge takers to launch the Fair Chance Business Pledge. The pledge represents a call-to-action for all members of the private sector to improve their communities by eliminating barriers for those with a criminal record and creating a pathway for a second chance.

Companies signing the pledge today include: American Airlines, Busboys and Poets, The Coca-Cola Company, Facebook, Georgia Pacific, Google, Greyston Bakery, The Hershey Company, The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System, Koch Industries, Libra Group, PepsiCo, Prudential, Starbucks, Uber, Under Amour/Plank Industries, Unilever and Xerox.

Right now, there are approximately 2.2 million Americans behind bars. The United States accounts for 5 percent of the world’s population, and 25 percent of its inmates. Each year, more than 600,000 inmates are released from federal and state prisons, and another 11.4 million individuals cycle through local jails. Around 70 million Americans have some sort of criminal record — almost one in three Americans of working age.

Too often, that record disqualifies individuals from being a full participant in their communities — even if they’ve already paid their debt to society. As a result, millions of Americans have difficulty finding employment.

Since President Obama took office, this Administration has been committed to reforming America’s criminal justice system. Last summer, the President spoke about the importance of reducing barriers facing people who have been in contact with the criminal justice system and are trying to put their lives back on track. He then became the first President to visit a federal prison where he sat down with individuals who would be returning to their communities. In November, he visited with formerly incarcerated individuals and emphasized that a smarter approach to reducing crime and enhancing public safety must begin with investing in all of our communities. He also announced new efforts by this Administration to help formerly incarcerated individuals to rehabilitate and reintegrate back into their communities, including an upcoming rule from the Office of Personnel Management that will “ban the box,” delaying inquiries into criminal history until later in the federal hiring process. One way to prevent criminals in the workplace may be to use pre-employment tests (as found at https://www.berkeassessment.com/solutions) in order to find out more about your candidates before you accept their application for the role. Berke has many options available.

Building on these efforts, the White House issued a challenge to businesses to take on the Fair Chance Business Pledge. A broad array of businesses have come together to support the reforms needed to bring about this change.

By signing the Fair Chance Business Pledge, these companies are:

  • Voicing strong support for economic opportunity for all, including the approximately 70 million Americans who have some form of a criminal record.
  • Demonstrating an ongoing commitment to take action to reduce barriers to a fair shot at a second chance, including practices like “banning the box” by delaying criminal history questions until later in the hiring process; ensuring that information regarding an applicant’s criminal record is considered in proper context; and engaging in hiring practices that do not unnecessarily place jobs out of reach for those with criminal records.
  • Setting an example for their peers. Today’s announcement is only the beginning. Later this year, the Obama Administration will release a second round of pledges, with a goal of mobilizing more companies and organizations to join the Fair Chance Business Pledge.

Companies and organizations interested in joining the Fair Chance Business Pledge can so do by signing up HERE.

Building on today’s announcement, in the coming weeks, the White House and the Department of Justice will host events in Washington, D.C. and across the country to amplify leaders taking steps to provide fair chance opportunities:

  • The Justice Department has designated the week of April 24-30, 2016, as National Reentry Week and is coordinating reentry events across the country – from job fairs, to practice interviews, to mentorship programs, to events for children of incarcerated parents – designed to help prepare inmates for release. To learn more, click HERE.
  • In the coming weeks, the White House will host a Champions of Change event to honor individuals expanding fair chance opportunities. The event will highlight local leaders and programs that are improving their communities by partnering with the philanthropic and private sectors to help those who have been incarcerated rehabilitate and reintegrate. To learn more, click HERE.

THE FAIR CHANCE BUSINESS PLEDGE

We applaud the growing number of public and private sector organizations nationwide who are taking action to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to succeed, including individuals who have had contact with the criminal justice system. When around 70 million Americans – nearly one in three adults – have a criminal record, it is important to remove unnecessary barriers that may prevent these individuals from gaining access to employment, training, education and other basic tools required for success in life. We are committed to providing individuals with criminal records, including formerly incarcerated individuals, a fair chance to participate in the American economy.

These companies put forth their pledges as follows:

AMERICAN AIRLINES: At American Airlines, our employees are the source of our success, with a clear connection between the quality of our team and the quality of the experience we can provide our customers. American is working hard to recruit, develop, retain and engage the very best people – those with unique perspectives and ways of thinking that will position us as a global leader – while recognizing the importance, in appropriate circumstances, of giving people a second chance.

To ensure we aren’t removing qualified individuals from employment consideration, we have banned the box and we don’t ask criminal history questions until someone accepts an offer. We are also conducting consistent, reliable, and fair-minded background checks as part of our hiring process.

We commend the Administration and applaud the many corporations and organizations that are taking similar actions to give all Americans a fair chance to succeed and enjoy everything our country has to offer. American Airlines is proud to take the Fair Chance Business Pledge.

THE COCA-COLA COMPANY: Fair chance policies and programs not only enhance the likelihood of success for the more than 600,000 individuals who are released annually from state and federal prisons – they also help to reknit families and rebuild communities. For these and other reasons as outlined below, The Coca-Cola Company is pleased to join the Fair Chance Business Pledge as a signatory.

The Coca-Cola Company has a long-standing commitment to equal opportunity. This spans our employment practices and development of existing employees. We are dedicated to maintaining workplaces that are free from discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, or any other reason prohibited by law. The basis for recruitment, hiring, placement, training, compensation and advancement at the Company is qualifications, performance, skills and experience.

We are particularly proud to share that The Coca-Cola Company and Coca-Cola Refreshments do not engage in background screening related to criminal history until after a decision to hire has been made. When there is a successful applicant who has a criminal history, our talent acquisition team has in place a process to review the relevancy of the history to make an informed decision. We recognize that creating a pathway for a second chance is an important first step in creating successful, sustained re-entry into mainstream society.

FACEBOOK: Facebook is a vocal supporter of equality and we are proud to stand with a growing number of companies who have chosen to ban the box. We strongly oppose hiring practices that discriminate against qualified applicants on the basis of criminal record.

Recently, Facebook collaborated with the California Department of Justice on the agency’s OpenJustice initiative, a program that promotes transparency in the criminal justice system to strengthen the public trust, enhance government accountability, and inform public policy development.

Signing the Fair Chance Hiring pledge allows us to reaffirm our commitment to find ways that our company can create opportunities for all to succeed. And we encourage other organizations and employers to do the same.

GOOGLE: Google has banned the box in its hiring process since 2011. In the last year alone, Google has advanced racial justice and criminal justice reform with grants to organizations and leaders totaling over $5 million. Google will continue its commitment to criminal justice reform and creating opportunities for formerly incarcerated Americans by:

  • Convening other leading technology companies to recruit more companies to ban the box and go beyond the box to support formerly incarcerated Americans re-entering the job market.
  • Conducting listening sessions with criminal justice organizations and formerly incarcerated leaders to understand what specific supports are needed and consider how Google products can be used to raise awareness of the issue of mass incarceration in America.
  • Hosting a series of regional forums on criminal justice reform with formerly incarcerated women and men.

GREYSTON BAKERY: As part of our Fair Chance Pledge, we commit to:

  • Banning the Box – by delaying criminal history questions until later in the hiring process, or not asking them at all and giving individuals a chance to prove themselves through hard work regardless of background;
  • Training human resources staff on making fair decisions regarding applicants with criminal records, and other employment barriers, and reporting data on the number of applicants through Open Hiring;
  • Ensuring jobs, internships, apprenticeships, and regular and progressive job trainings are available to individuals with criminal records and other employment barriers;
  • Keeping an open door policy for Open Hiring for anyone to sign up for a chance at a job, when one becomes available; in the meantime, accessing workforce development trainings for employment readiness;
  • Providing mentorship and “soft-skills” support once on the job to ensure retention and readiness, particularly through the apprenticeship/internship period;
  • Supporting with placement to area employers from workforce development training programs whenever possible, through matching services and providing trainings in demand;
  • Providing key worker benefits past the apprenticeship period including: subsidized childcare, access to lower-cost nutritious food, and access to affordable housing, to address the highest risk factors of low-income workers and previously incarcerated individuals in sustaining employment;
  • Working to provide a “living wage” to all our workers in addition to subsidized worker benefits, to help those with employment barriers sustainably break the cycle of poverty.

Greyston also takes action in our local community of Yonkers, NY by supporting other employers in considering Open Hiring in their businesses, de-risking fair chance employment for them by investing in workforce development and job training programs, to increase overall regional employability and job readiness, including in “soft skills” such as literacy and numeracy, mentorship, etc.

Greyston also provides other community programs such as an early childcare center, community gardens, and housing supports for both worker benefit as well as community health and well-being, to truly contribute to sustained Fair Chance employment.

THE JOHNS HOPKINS HOSPITAL AND HEALTH SYSTEM: The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System’s (JHHS) practice of providing access and opportunity to the returning citizens of Baltimore is not a charitable endeavor, but a strategic part of the way we conduct our business. We are not just an organization that conducts business in Baltimore, but an integral part of the community — interwoven and connected for 126 years and counting.

When Mr. Hopkins endowed the Hospital, he recognized that the service we provide can only have a positive lasting impact if all members of the community are a part of JHHS mission. We have made sure to keep Mr. Hopkins’ directives, which in many ways mirror the Fair Chance Business Pledge, at the forefront of all that we do. This is evidenced in our hiring practice, which embraces our community’s citizens who meet our hiring requirements — including returning citizens.

We have banned the box in our hiring process and have an established practice of individually reviewing applicants that have criminal background. This thoughtful, detailed process has enabled us to have a strong returning citizen hire rate over the years.

Our long standing partnerships with community based partners, particularly those that serve returning citizens, and understand our organization and the work we do, provides us with a pipeline of talented applicants. We share our practices with other Baltimore City companies and encourage dialogue on the importance of engaging all of our citizens in the employment process.

Lastly, our organizations unwavering commitment to Baltimore City and Maryland is reflected in our Institution’s leadership, managerial and supervisory staff, who understand that we have a lot of talented people in our community. We recognize that we cannot afford to let good talent get away — especially talent that might need a second chance.

KOCH INDUSTRIES AND GEORGIA PACIFIC: Koch Industries and Georgia-Pacific support the Fair Chance Business Pledge and applaud the leadership of the White House on this critically important issue. The Pledge is consistent with Koch and Georgia-Pacific’s mission to help people improve their lives and remove barriers to opportunity for all Americans, especially the least advantaged.

We believe that we shouldn’t be rejecting people at the very start of the hiring process who may otherwise be capable and qualified, and want an opportunity to work hard.

LIBRA GROUP: The Libra Group believes strongly in the twin values of hope and opportunity. Investing in the community isn’t just a matter of ‘paying back’ with the fruits of commerce; it is good business in its own right. A community with hope and opportunity is one better equipped to contribute in tomorrow’s world. Part of our responsibility in running an international business is to actively give something back. We do this through a series of 10 managed programs and initiatives which are broadly linked to the themes of community support and assisting people who have been denied or have limited opportunity, including the formerly incarcerated. Some of these initiatives include:

  • Drive Change: Libra Group supports Drive Change and its mission to use the food truck workplace to run a 1-year Fellowship for young people returning home from prison so they can obtain preferred employment and educational opportunities. Our monetary and in-kind support, in the form of essential skills trainings have allowed Drive Change to:
    • Hire a part-time “Truck Coach” who will empower the young people in the program to gain the most from their entire Drive Change experience;
    • Host hospitality trainings to make sure the Fellows are receiving quality instruction that can drive their future career opportunities;
    • Support instructors in developing courses in work-place readiness, social media, marketing, money management and small business development;
    • Provide management training for Executive Staff.
  • Defy Ventures: Libra Group provides funding to Defy Ventures to support its mission of harnessing the natural talents of formerly incarcerated individuals and redirecting them towards the creation of profitable and legal business ventures.
  • Libra Internship Program: Libra Group Internships are a unique opportunity for bright, talented young people with proven leadership potential to undertake a paid placement of up to six months’ duration with the Libra Group and its subsidiaries around the world. We work with organizations such as LEDA (Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America), SEO, Prep for Prep, Harlem Children’s Zone, Miami Dade College, Olivier Scholars and CUNY, who are dedicated to provide educational opportunities to students coming from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Through Libra’s Internship Program, we support the children of formerly incarcerated parents. We have hosted a number of students who have grown up with either one or both parents in the criminal justice system.

PEPSICO: We all have a vested interest in creating conditions that allow individuals with criminal convictions to succeed. Finding a job is often one of the biggest barriers to a second chance; that’s why PepsiCo is proud to sign the Fair Chance Business Pledge. A fair chance at a good job significantly increases an individual’s chances of successfully re-entering society while strengthening the communities we all share.

We already “ban the box” by eliminating criminal history questions on our employment applications and delaying a background check until after a conditional offer of employment has been made. In cases of a criminal background, we individually review each case to understand the relevancy of the conviction, time passed, evidence of rehabilitation and other factors. All candidates have the opportunity to tell their unique story and will not be eliminated from consideration based solely on the fact of a criminal conviction.

PepsiCo has a long history of promoting equal opportunity. We evaluate current and prospective employees solely on their qualifications, experience and performance – and we have zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind.

We will continue our efforts to create opportunities for formerly incarcerated Americans by working with community partners to provide job readiness training and support, such as Stanford Law School’s Justice Advocacy Project, an effort to assist individuals with navigating the challenges of reentry.

PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL: Prudential Financial is proud to take the White House Fair Chance Business Pledge, building upon our long-standing commitment to equal opportunity. Our efforts to date have focused on establishing internal policies and supporting programs that rebuild communities and provide second chances to individuals and families.

Internally, Prudential is committed to inclusive hiring practices when it comes to recruiting and retaining the best talent. We post our open roles publicly and do not inquire about an individual’s criminal history until after an offer of employment is extended. If it is revealed that a candidate does have a criminal record, that does not in and of itself necessarily disqualify him/her.

Additionally, Prudential has provided nearly $50 million to support fair chance hiring policies by investing in businesses and organizations who have demonstrated a commitment to inclusive hiring practices. These practices include assisting individuals with criminal backgrounds through workforce training, which includes occupational skills training and workplace soft skills training, so that they can successfully re-enter the workforce.

STARBUCKS: Starbucks continues to encourage its partners (employees) and others to recognize the choices we, as organizations and as citizens, can each can make every day to see a different story for America. The Company believes that equal access to opportunities, for those willing to work hard and play fair, continues to be the promise of our country. In many ways, Starbucks is demonstrating responsible, compassionate ways to provide more individuals a second chance:

  • Ban the Box: Starbucks does not inquire about criminal histories on initial job applications and runs background checks only after a conditional offer of employment. The intent is to provide applicants with a criminal history the chance to be evaluated as a whole person by having their circumstances considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • Access to Opportunity: In partnership with like-minded organizations, Starbucks has come up with creative solutions to open doors for transitioning veterans, aspiring students seeking debt-free college degrees, and Opportunity Youth- 16-24 year olds who face systemic barriers to jobs and education.
  • 100,000 Opportunities Initiative: Supported by many of the country’s youth and opportunity-focused nonprofit organizations, local governments, and participating funders, the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative is an employer led coalition of over 30 companies committed to engaging at least 100,000 opportunity youth by 2018 through experiential job fairs, apprenticeships, internships, and both part-time and full-time jobs. Since August, Starbucks has already hired over 7,000 opportunity youth, and plans to host its next hiring fair in its hometown of Seattle in May.

UBER: Providing economic opportunities to those with certain offenses on their records is a way for Uber to help reentering citizens find a way to earn a living. Driving for the Uber platform is a great option for someone looking to get back on their feet: it’s easy to get started and completely flexible.

We believe that the right path forward is to tailor our driver screening process to focus on issues that are directly relevant to providing a safe and reliable ride. We also conduct a transparent, up-to-date, and fair assessment of who should be on the Uber platform and who shouldn’t. This ensures rider safety without excluding people who deserve a fair shot at work opportunities.

To that end, in California—where more than 100,000 people drive with Uber—we’ve committed to:

  • Notifying people who don’t pass Uber’s pre-screening process that they could be eligible for getting felonies on their records adjusted under Proposition 47 (which they only have until November 2017 to do) and pointing them to resources to help them do that.
  • Aligning our pre-screening process with Proposition 47 to give people with low-level, nonviolent convictions on their records the same economic opportunities as everyone else.
  • Referring people who still don’t qualify to Defy Ventures to get work and entrepreneurship training as well as mentoring and job placement assistance.

We look forward to making similar commitments across the country, and we’re pleased that already, our technology and our background check processes—which include screening through national, state, and local databases—are reliable and accurate without unnecessarily discriminating against minorities as fingerprint-based checks do. We’re excited to continue working with community groups and reentry organizations across the country to explore ways our policies and technology can make our screening process fair for everyone.

UNDER ARMOUR AND PLANK INDUSTRIES: Under Amour and Plank Industries want to commend the Administration for their leadership in promoting the Fair Business Pledge with employers across this country and we are proud to take the pledge across all of our businesses. This initiative serves as an important reminder that while we all seek to improve our economy and create jobs, we must also consider the barriers that prevent qualified individuals from joining the workforce.

Under Armour comes from very humble beginnings in Baltimore, Maryland. Today, we are a global brand in performance footwear, apparel and technology with nearly $4 billion in annual revenue employing 12,000 teammates in 28 offices across 18 countries. Baltimore is home to Under Armour, and as we grow, so will the opportunities in this great city.

While Under Armour continues to be a catalyst for economic activity in Baltimore, we believe there is even more we can do to grow the economy. Taking the Fair Business Pledge is just one example of how we can make our hiring practices more inclusive for some in our community. Through the Blocal initiative, we have also pledged to work with other business leaders in Baltimore to promote locally owned businesses, hire more from the local community, buy from local suppliers and continue to give back to our local communities.

As leaders in business, we all focus on creating economic opportunity. As leaders in our community, we should also consider how everyone can participate in the opportunities we create.

UNILEVER: Through the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, Unilever is committed to enhancing livelihoods and creating a brighter future for all. We believe that businesses like ours can and should play an important role in generating wealth and jobs around the world, improving skills and offering access to markets. Fairness in the workplace is about respecting the rights of all those who work with us. Furthermore, business can only truly flourish in societies and economies where human rights are respected and upheld.

Several years ago, Unilever was one of the first companies to implement the “banning the box” policy, meaning that we no longer ask applicants to declare a criminal record prior to being invited to interview for a position. More recently, we decided that we will not conduct criminal background checks until a contingent offer has been made to a potential applicant. By taking these actions, Unilever is proud to be a signatory of the Fair Chance Business Pledge. We are committed to providing equal opportunities to individuals with criminal records a fair chance to participate in the American economy.

XEROX: Xerox is proud to join other corporate leaders in “banning the box.” Xerox is committed to fostering an environment where everyone can contribute and succeed at every level of the corporation.

Our outreach into diverse and broad employment markets for qualified individuals results in hiring our talented workforce and allows us to build and maintain an inclusive corporate culture. We strive continually to strengthen our work environment on an ongoing basis by valuing employees with different backgrounds and perspectives.