Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds New Federal Guidance on Providing Access to Higher Education for Students Previously Involved with the Criminal Justice System

Media 05.10.16

WASHINGTON – Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president and director of policy at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in response to the release by the U.S. Department of Education of Beyond the Box: Increasing Access to Higher Education for Justice-Involved Individuals, a resource guide for colleges and universities designed to encourage alternatives to inquiring about criminal histories during the college admissions process:

“Beyond the Box should be required reading for every college and university administrator. The guide provides common sense advice on how a holistic approach can eliminate barriers to admissions for students previously involved in the criminal justice system. It also suggests a number of strategies for making sure that these students have the support and guidance they need to be successful in college.

After decades of over-policing, racial profiling and counterproductive school disciplinary policies, too many promising students – a disproportionate share of them students of color – are being summarily denied access to higher education or discouraged from even applying because of past mistakes. Colleges and universities play an important role in making sure that these students have a fair chance to learn, obtain skills and contribute to society.

We commend the U.S. Department of Education for issuing this guidance so that colleges and universities can meet their obligations under civil rights laws and better serve the needs of students and our nation.”

Nancy Zirkin is the executive vice president and director of policy at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.