Standing Up for Second Chances – Why I Support Ban the Box
Dear Friends and Supporters,
My name is [Your Name], and I am running for Congress in Nevada’s Second Congressional District. As someone who has experienced incarceration firsthand, I know the pain of being marked for life by a mistake in your past. I also know the power of redemption, the importance of justice, and the urgent need for real change in our laws. That’s why I am making Ban the Box legislation a centerpiece of my campaign—and calling on you to join me in the fight for true second chances.
The New Jim Crow: How We Got Here
Michelle Alexander, in her groundbreaking book The New Jim Crow, exposes how mass incarceration has become a tool for racial and social control in America. She calls out three forms of harm inflicted on people who have been caught up in the criminal justice system:
Gut Social Safety Nets: The government has systematically stripped away social safety net programs, making it harder for those in marginalized communities to escape poverty and making involvement in the criminal justice system more likely.
Entrapment in the System: Once ensnared by the system, people face harsh sentencing laws, limited access to resources, and inhumane prison conditions.
Lifetime Stigma: Even after paying their debt to society, returning citizens are branded for life—especially in the job market, where the dreaded question “Have you ever been convicted of a felony?” closes doors before they can even open.
This is why Ban the Box legislation is so essential. It’s about removing that question from job applications, giving everyone a fair chance to work, contribute, and rebuild their lives.
Ban the Box: A Progressive Solution for Justice and Opportunity
The movement to Ban the Box is about more than just job applications—it’s about dismantling the structures of oppression that keep people trapped in cycles of poverty and punishment. As a formerly incarcerated Nevadan, I know the barriers are real and the pain is lasting. But I also know that we can fight back—and win.
A truly progressive Ban the Box policy should:
Cover All Employers: Federal, state, and private employers must be required to remove conviction history questions from initial job applications, not just government agencies.
Delay Background Checks: Employers should only conduct background checks after a conditional offer of employment has been made, preventing premature elimination of qualified applicants.
Eliminate Blanket Bans: Outlaw blanket policies that automatically disqualify applicants with criminal records, especially for non-violent offenses.
Provide Enforcement and Remedies: Create strong enforcement mechanisms, including penalties for employers who violate the law, and clear pathways for applicants to report discrimination.
Include Expungement and Sealing: Pair Ban the Box laws with automatic expungement and record-sealing for non-violent offenses, so that a past mistake doesn’t become a permanent barrier.
End Discrimination in Housing, Education, and Voting: Ban the Box should be expanded to housing, university admissions, and restore voting rights to all returning citizens—because second chances must be comprehensive.
The Progressive Leadership We Need in Congress
In Congress, I will champion the boldest, most comprehensive Ban the Box legislation ever introduced. Here’s what I’ll fight for:
1. Federal Ban the Box for All Employers
No one should be denied a job before they’ve even had a chance to interview. I will author a federal Ban the Box law covering every employer in the country, public and private.
2. Automatic Expungement and Record Sealing
I will push for automatic expungement of non-violent records and make sealing available for most other convictions, so people can move on with their lives without endless punishment.
3. End Collateral Consequences
I will work to end the thousands of collateral consequences that haunt returning citizens—including denial of public housing, student loans, and voting rights.
4. Invest in Reentry and Social Safety Nets
I will restore and expand social safety net programs, invest in reentry services, job training, and mental health support, so that everyone has a fighting chance to succeed.
5. Racial Justice and Equity
Because Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities have been hit hardest by mass incarceration, I will ensure that Ban the Box and all criminal justice reforms are designed through a lens of racial justice, with funding and resources directed where they are needed most.
From Stigma to Strength: My Story, Our Future
I have lived the reality of second-class citizenship imposed by a felony conviction. I know the doors that slam shut, the jobs you never hear back from, the feeling of being marked forever. But I also know that with courage and unity, we can turn stigma into strength.
Ban the Box isn’t about erasing accountability—it’s about restoring dignity and opportunity. It’s about recognizing that redemption is real, that people can and do change, and that our communities are stronger when everyone has a fair shot.
Together, we can build a Nevada—and an America—where second chances are real, not just rhetoric. Where people are valued for who they are and who they can become, not just for what they’ve done in their past.
Join me. Support Ban the Box. Stand up for justice, hope, and a future where everyone gets a second chance.
In solidarity,
Gamy Enriquez, MPA
Independent Democratic Candidate for Congress, NV-02
