‘Stop Punishing People Who Have Been Punished’

Rosa Correa, long active in city issues, knows the value of second chances in her role as director of Strategic Relations for Career Resources. She prevailed upon second-chance leaders to step up on behalf of state employee Carlos Cosme who they believe was unfairly media maligned in the fallout of former State Senator Andres Ayala’s resignation as commissioner of the state Department of Motor Vehicles. Cosme, they argue, has turned his life around and made valuable community contributions following drug issues a decade ago, points not made by the media. Scott Wilderman and Dan Braccio, job training and reentry leaders, assert in this commentary “The bottom line is that imposing collateral consequences after a criminal conviction has been served is not only vindictive but also counterproductive to building safe and healthy communities.” Commentary sent to media outlets follows:

Second chances have always been an important American value. We often forgive athletes, politicians, and actors for their indiscretions, but when will the press stop punishing people for being punished? Beyond the effect on recidivism and survival chances, collateral sanctions such as those imposed by the press unfairly continue to punish people who were formerly incarcerated for their crimes long after they have served their sentences. This is what happened to Carlos Cosme provided with a state employment opportunity by the CT DMV and now former DMV Commissioner Andres Ayala.

In your story about Mr. Ayala’s resignation, Mr. Cosme’s background inexplicably made front page news, not for the positive things that he has accomplished since his release, but rather for the crime that he already has paid the price for. The press chose not to report about Mr. Cosme’s countless hours volunteering in the Bridgeport community through Project Longevity, a gun violence reduction program, or working with troubled youth in an attempt to sway them from committing criminal offenses. Nor was the public made aware how Mr. Cosme obtained his Associates Degree at Housatonic Community College; nor that he had received a Personal Achievement award in 2013 and citations from U.S. Senator Blumenthal and U.S. Representative Himes. Nor was it revealed that Mr. Cosme worked as an aide not only for state Senator Gary A. Winfield (D-New Haven) as well as former state Senator Ayala (D-Bridgeport). Moreover, the press failed to mention that Mr. Cosme is a new home owner, a productive tax paying citizen, and the proud step-father of a U.S. Marine.

Unfortunately, almost every felony conviction carries with it a life sentence. It has become a Scarlet Letter that is indelibly marked on all but a few. It is hard enough that upon being released, people who were formerly incarcerated face a vast increasing maze of mandatory exclusions from valuable social programs and employment opportunities that impede their hopes of success.

As the Bridgeport ReEntry Collaborative, a voluntary association of more than thirty local agencies working together on solutions to the challenges returning citizens face, we applaud Governor Dannel Malloy and the State of Connecticut for their willingness not only to enact legislation to enhance employment opportunities for those people who were formerly incarcerated, but also for the fact that they are actually willing to employ them. We further support Mr. Cosme in his commitment to persevere and serve as a model of redemption and a beacon of hope for those people who were formerly incarcerated who seek a righteous path.

The bottom line is that imposing collateral consequences after a criminal conviction has been served is not only vindictive but also counterproductive to building safe and healthy communities.

Signed

Scott K. Wilderman
Wilderman@careerresources.org
Co-chair, Bridgeport Reentry Collaborative

Dan Braccio
DanBraccio@ccgb.org
Co-chair, Bridgeport Reentry Collaborative