Delta Diamond v14.2 Delta Diamond v14.2.final | Page 14

Restoration OF rights 2018 FLORIDA DELTA DAYS AT THE CAPITAL By: Soror Keisha Fedd Sorors of Jacksonville Alumnae along with Gainesville Alumnae were in action for 2018 Delta Days at the Capitol, “Defining the Moment: Believing in the Power of We.” The group met with Senator Keith Perry (Republican) to advocate for Civil Rights Restoration. Perry is known for his efforts to assist convicted felons in regaining their civil rights. Currently, after five years of being released from prison an applicant can apply for restoration. The average wait time to simply be scheduled for a hearing is 9.5 years. Senate Bill 1332 –Restoration of Civil Rights would require applications filed before a specific date and which qualify for priority processing to be completed before other applications, stipulating the Florida Commission on Offender Review inform applicants of their status or discrepancies on a regular basis, applicants must inform the commission of any change in contact information. The group also attended the Senate Criminal Justice Reform meeting to witness SB1332 Restoration of Rights, SB936 Juvenile Justice – Against Direct File, and SB1392 Pre-arrest Diversion Programs – Adult Civil Citations to be voted for favorably within the Senate’s Criminal Justice Committee. We will continue to follow the progress of the aforementioned bills. 14