Ex Felons For Hire

Donald Trump pardoned New Orleans criminal justice advocate Syrita Steib-Martin as one of his last acts in office Wednesday.

The pardon, according to the White House, relieves Steib-Martin of paying nearly $2 million in restitution for a crime she was convicted of when she was 19.

She was one of 143 people whom Trump pardoned or commuted their sentences. New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne also was pardoned.

Wayne, 38, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., was scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 28 after pleading guilty to a federal charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He faced up to 10 years behind bars.

Who is Syrita Steib-Martin?

Steib-Martin is the executive director and co-founder of Operation Restoration, which helps formerly incarcerated women with education, clothing, healthcare, employment and more. The organization’s website said Steib-Martin created the program to help others in her situation.

In 1999, when she was 19, she was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, 20 years in state prison and ordered to pay $1.9 million in restitution for her role in stealing cars and burning down an auto dealership in Tyler, Texas, according to a 2019 story on Essence.com. She was released in 2009 after serving nine years and two months of that sentence.

While in federal prison, Steib-Martin began taking community college courses. She felt education was the key to her overcoming anger issues and putting her life back in order. 

But when she applied to the University of New Orleans, she was denied admission; she believes she was spurned because of her criminal history. Two years later, she reapplied, unchecked the box in which she disclosed a criminal history, and got in.

She later did the research that helped Democratic state Reps. Vincent Pierre, of Lafayette, and Ted James, of Baton Rouge, craft legislation that bans public colleges and universities from asking most applicants about their criminal history. The “ban the box” bill passed in 2017. 

The White House, in a press release, said Steib-Martin’s pardon was supported by former New Orleans Saint Ben Watson, Judge Sandra Jenkins of Louisiana’s Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal, and Sister Marjorie Hebert, the president and CEO of Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

The White House cited Steib-Martin’s advocacy for criminal justice reform in its explanation of the pardon.

“With today’s pardon, Ms. Steib-Martin is relieved of the crushing restitution she incurred at such a young age,” the White House statement said.

See the full list of pardons and commuted sentences.

Staff reporters Mark Ballard and Keith Spera contributed to this story.

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There is much to celebrate this week, including the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the inauguration of a new president.

Here in Illinois, we are also celebrating history being made in Springfield.

An omnibus criminal justice reform bill pass by the Legislature earlier this month represents an historic step in the fight for progress. It moves us closer to the “promises of democracy” of which Dr. King spoke and the “more perfect union” for which our nation’s founders hoped. By ending cash bail and mandating police reform across the state, it provides us with an opportunity to repair past harms and begin to regain the trust of our Black and Brown communities.

Yet, those opposed to the bill’s contents have continued down a familiar path, repeating tropes that have been used for decades. Whether it’s the “free-for-all” tall tale, the evocation of the myth that “no cash bail causes higher crime,” or the “too-much-too-soon” obstructionist narrative, the people who stand in the way of reform are obviously well-practiced.

But as both our Founding Fathers and those who fought for civil rights in the last generation would remind us, there will always be opposition to change. Reform is never easy, but the fight for a more just and equitable world is always worth it.

We know that reducing the pretrial population held at the jail is the just and equitable thing to do. Thanks to the local bond reforms passed in Cook County in 2017, many people have benefited from the decision to only hold the accused if they are a flight risk or a danger to the community. Those accused of a crime, who don’t pose such risks, have been able to keep their jobs, continue their education and take care of their children while awaiting trial.

Many are unaware that 50% of women admitted to the Cook County Jail self-report as mothers. As a mother myself, it pains me to imagine the harm done to a child whose mother has to await trial behind bars for weeks or months, only to be found innocent.

Yet, on the other side of the coin, it must be clearly stated that it is also just to continue to detain those who pose a risk to themselves or others. The reforms laid out in the bill do not mean that violent criminals will now be able to walk out of jail at their leisure. By building on the process that has already seen success in Cook County, we do not have to worry that a dangerous person, wealthy or not, will be unexpectedly able to exit the system.

Detractors have also pointed to the rise in violent crime throughout the pandemic in 2020 and implied a link to Cook County’s bail reforms. To those who put forth those false correlations, let me be clear: This specious connection is patently false.

Most recently, a study issued last November by the MacArthur Foundation in partnership with Loyola University reported no negative impact on the crime rate in Chicago due to our bail reform efforts. I am grateful to professors David Olson and Don Stemen for their careful and illuminating study.

Finally, to those who have concerns that these reforms are occurring too quickly — as a former history teacher, I must point them to a history book. Dr. King and our Founding Fathers surely were met with similar arguments designed to stifle progress, yet they persisted.

I will also remind those opposed that these issues have been the subjects of Illinois Supreme Court commissions, hearings before the Legislature and debate across the state for decades. This bill was the culmination of years of effort, and the effective date in two years gives us even more time to ensure that the legislative changes are implemented responsibly.

As the bill moves forward in the legislative process, and we continue the celebrations this week, I encourage us all to remember Dr. King’s words:

“Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark…to the sunlit path of racial justice.”

This bill, once signed into law, will ensure that we live up to Dr. King’s charge and continue down the path set forth by the fathers of our democratic republic.

Finally, we are bringing justice to a system that has, for far too long, served only the wealthy and punished the poor. Let’s get the job done and make criminal justice reform a reality in Illinois — history reminds us that the fight is always worth it.

Send letters to letters@suntimes.com

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Retired K-9 crosses the rainbow bridge | News, Sports, Jobs  Martins Ferry Times Leader

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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF/AP) — While millions of Californians are battling each day to put food on the table amid the idled COVID-19 economy, payments from the state earmarked to help them have been ripped off to the tune of nearly $10 billion, according to a security firm hired to investigate the fraud.

KPIX 5 has been among the leaders in investigating the EDD payment crisis. Check out our EDD Fraud special section for the latest stories

Blake Hall, founder and CEO of ID.me told the Los Angeles Times, that California may have paid out nearly $10 billion in phony coronavirus unemployment claims — more than double the previous estimate. Some of that money has gone to organized crime in Russia, China and other countries.

At least 10% of claims submitted to the state Employment Development Department before controls were installed in October may have been fraudulent.

The Times on Friday said that would work out to $9.8 billion of the benefits paid from March through September.

The money went to people who lost their jobs when the state began locking down businesses in an effort to curb the COVID-19 pandemic that currently is overwhelming hospitals and causing hundreds of deaths a day.

California, the nation’s most populous state, has processed more than 16 million unemployment benefits claims since March and paid out $113 billion. The Employment Development Department has struggled to keep up with the demand, facing intense pressure to work through a backlog that at one time numbered more than 1.6 million people.

The payout includes $43 billion from a federal expedited assistance program for independent contractors, gig workers and the self-employed that is less secure, the Times said.

The state has acknowledged that the department was bilked out of hundreds of millions of dollars in COVID-19 unemployment funds that went to fraudsters, including some in the name of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Others were sent to inmates in jails and prisons, including Scott Peterson and others on California’s death row.

Hall’s company was hired by the Employment Development Department and since October his firm had blocked nearly 470,000 phony claims.

Typically, 10% of unemployment claims nationwide are fraudulent, Hall told the Times.

Much of the COVID-19 fraud in California and other states was perpetrated by criminals in some 20 countries, he said.

Hall said criminal rings submit claims using stolen identity information and then send “money mules” out to pick up debit cards issued by the Employment Development Department, often to vacant houses.

“When the Russians and the Nigerians and the Chinese are the players on the field, they are going to put up some points,” Hall said. “This is a very sophisticated cyberattack that’s being run at scale.”

The U.S. Department of Labor’s inspector general’s office warned in November that as much as $36 billion of the $360 billion in federal COVID-19 support payments could be improper or fraudulent.

Rita Saenz, who became the Employment Development Department’s new director this month, called it an unprecedented criminal assault on the benefits system.

Saenz told the Times that she couldn’t comment on the possibility of there being $9.8 billion in fraud because the department is still trying to determine how much fraud was committed.

“My intention is to do everything we can, working with our law enforcement partners, to catch whoever is doing it and bring them to justice,” she said.

Last month, the Employment Development Department suspended payment on 1.4 million claims until they could be verified.

© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Central Illinois law enforcement frustrated over criminal justice overhaul process  Herald & Review

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Central Illinois law enforcement frustrated over criminal justice overhaul process  Journal Gazette and Times-Courier

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Central Illinois police leaders thank residents for support after criminal justice reform bill passes General Assembly  Bloomington Pantagraph

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Demonstrators march in Chicago on Wednesday, June 24, 2020 to show their support for removing police officers from schools. (WTTW News)

State legislators have approved a massive 764-page police and criminal justice reform bill that could end the practice of cash bail in Illinois and make it easier to decertify officers who commit misconduct.

Both the Illinois Senate and House of Representatives approved the sweeping measure Wednesday morning, meaning it will now go to the desk of Gov. J.B. Pritzker for approval. If the governor does sign it, the legislation would require officers across Illinois to be licensed by the state and outfitted with body cameras, among other changes.

The bill would also end the use of money bond, meaning defendants in criminal cases could only be detained pretrial if they’re deemed a flight risk or a risk to the community.

“Eliminating cash bail ends the practice of detaining non-violent offenders simply because they are poor while also preventing violent offenders from being released because they can afford bail,” Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said in a statement.

VIDEO: Kim Foxx on Capitol Riots, Police Union and Reform

Criminal justice advocacy groups like the Chicago Community Bond Fund have long pushed for an end to cash bond, calling it an “archaic practice” that has “caused irreparable harm to our communities.”

“So many people have lost jobs, housing, and so much more, not because they’ve been found to be a danger to anyone’s safety but because of the size of their bank account,” state Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) said in a statement. “This system has prioritized access to wealth over public safety for far too long, it has caused irreparable harm to communities across our state.”

The legislation was brought forth by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus in response to widespread unrest over the summer sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

If signed into law, the measure will allow for anonymous complaints to be made against police officers — complainants currently have to sign an affidavit to do so — and would amend the state’s police certification and decertification process.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul pushed for changes in that process following last year’s unrest, saying police officers should be certified the way lawyers, pharmacists, doctors and hairdressers are.

The bill received pushback from law enforcement organizations including the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 — which represent rank-and-file officers with the Chicago Police Department — and the Illinois Law Enforcement Coalition.

They said the legislation is a “betrayal of the public trust” that “gives many more advantages to criminals than the police.”

“It ties the hands of police officers while pursuing suspects and making arrests,” the Illinois Law Enforcement Coalition said in a statement, “and allows criminals to run free while out on bail.”

Beyond the nuts and bolts of the bill, the groups also criticized legislators for “shoving” the measure through “in the middle of the night before the people voting on it even had a chance to read it.”

“In the dark of night,” the coalition said, “Illinois legislators made Illinois less safe.”

Contact Matt Masterson: @ByMattMasterson | [email protected] | (773) 509-5431

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Criminal Background Records

January is a great time to review hiring policies, especially as many laws governing the use of public records such as criminal background records can change during this time.

WALTHAM, Mass. (PRWEB)
January 12, 2021

On January 1, 2021 a number of laws related to pre-employment background screening will change or be enacted, including a number related to Ban-the-Box, laws which govern the use of Criminal Background History as part of the vetting process. Adam Almeida, President and CEO of CriminalBackgroundRecords.com suggests: “With the new year hiring managers and HR Departments must review their employment hiring policies to remain complaint with new and/or changing laws governing the use of public records and a best practice remains to work with a well-qualified third-party pre-employment background screening agency, such as CriminalBackgroundRecords.com.”

In 2021 several new or updated changes to Ban-the-Box legislation will take place, undoubtedly the first of many changes that will occur over the course of the year.

In St. Louis a new Ban-the-Box bill is set to become law on January 1, 2021 and will have an immediate impact on private employers across that city.

From JDSupra.com (Jan. 04, 21):

Effective January 1, 2021, private sector employers with 10 or more employees in the City of St. Louis must comply with Ordinance 71074 (the Ordinance), a ban-the-box ordinance that prohibits employers from asking job applicants about criminal histories during the initial employment screening process. Compliance with the Ordinance is required to obtain and maintain a business operating license in the City of St. Louis. (1)

Almeida adds: “Many companies have employees in multiple states, multiple jurisdictions with difference in law. Working with a third-party pre-employment screening agency that has a national and global presence remains a best practice.”

In New York City laws governing the use of criminal history records have been updated.

From JDSupra’s website on December 17, 2020:

On December 10, 2020, the New York City Council passed bill Int. 1314-A, which significantly expands the scope of New York City’s “ban-the-box” law, the New York City Fair Chance Act (FCA). The bill would impose significant restrictions on an employer’s ability to take adverse action against a job applicant or current employee based on pending criminal charges or arrests, or convictions arising during employment. The amendments would also prohibit asking for or considering adjournments in contemplation of dismissal1 or non-criminal violations2 in employment decisions. (2)

“In the end,” Almeida concludes, “early January is a great time to review hiring policies, especially as many laws governing the use of public records such as criminal background records can change during this time. A best practice for employers amongst such changes to law remains to work with a well-qualified third-party pre-employment background screening agency.”

CriminalBackgroundRecords.com is a third-party employment screening company, an advocate of SHRM, a member in good standing with the PBSA (Professional Background Screening Association) and for over 17 years has maintained an A+ Rating with the BBB (Better Business Bureau). The company has highly trained operators well versed in the needs and requirements of companies and organizations large and small utilizing public records, such as criminal background records, as part of a hiring process. Assisting companies in maintaining full compliance under the law is a central tenet of all client relationships with CriminalBackgroundRecords.com.

Notes:

(1) jdsupra.com/legalnews/effective-january-1-2021-city-of-st-6907339/

(2) jdsupra.com/legalnews/new-york-city-expands-scope-of-its-ban-30591/

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Macon County law enforcement, prosecutors opposing criminal reform legislation  Herald & Review

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