End Qualified Immunity
- Hold law enforcement officers accountable for misconduct by removing legal shields.
Demilitarize the Police
- Limit federal programs that supply local police with military-grade equipment. Promote community-based policing and civilian oversight.
Abolish the Death Penalty
- Commute existing death sentences and redirect funding to rehabilitation.
Sentencing Reform & Decarceration
- Eliminate mandatory minimums for non-violent offenses; support restorative justice and sentence review.
Abolish Cash Bail
- Commute existing death sentences and redirect funding to rehabilitation.
Legalize Cannabis & Expunge Records
- Fully decriminalize and reinvest tax revenue into communities.
Ban Forced Labor of All Kinds
- End exploitative prison labor, grant incarcerated workers full labor rights, and end all forms of slavery.
Post-Incarceration Rehabilitation
- The Labor Party supports a comprehensive, rights-based post-incarceration rehabilitation framework designed to break the cycle of recidivism, ensure economic stability, and protect public safety. This policy establishes structured, well-funded reintegration programs that remove barriers to employment, housing, healthcare, and civic participation, recognizing that successful reentry into society is critical for long-term justice reform.
- Employment & Workforce Development
- Ban Discriminatory Hiring Practices - Expand “Ban the Box” laws to prohibit employers from inquiring about past convictions on job applications, ensuring fair hiring opportunities.
- Termination Justification - Employers that hire individuals without prior knowledge of their criminal history must provide clear, documented justification for termination if a background check is conducted after employment has begun. Terminations based solely on past convictions rather than job performance or workplace behavior will be prohibited.
- Exceptions will apply in specific industries where public safety, fiduciary responsibility, or legal compliance necessitate stricter regulations, including but not limited to:
- Childcare & Education – Positions involving direct supervision of minors.
- Senior & Disability Care – Roles requiring direct care for vulnerable populations.
- Banking & Financial Services – Jobs involving fiduciary trust and sensitive financial data.
- Other Heavily Regulated Fields – Professions where federal or state regulations impose background check requirements.
- Employers in regulated industries must follow due process standards, including notifying the employee, allowing a response, and considering rehabilitation efforts before making termination decisions.
- Guaranteed Workforce Development - Provide federal funding for vocational training, apprenticeships, and job placement programs for formerly incarcerated individuals.
- Employer Incentives for Second-Chance Hiring - Establish tax credits and wage subsidies for businesses that hire returning citizens.
- Entrepreneurship & Small Business Support - Offer microloans, business grants, and mentorship programs for formerly incarcerated individuals seeking self-employment.
- Stable Housing & Tenant Protections
- Transitional Housing Assistance – Fund publicly managed transitional housing programs for individuals immediately upon release.
- Anti-Discrimination Protections in Housing – Prohibit landlords from rejecting applicants based on criminal history alone.
- Cooperative & Public Housing Access – Expand public and cooperative housing initiatives to include designated units for returning citizens
- Education & Skill Development
- Tuition-Free Access to Higher Education & Vocational Training – Guarantee access to community college, technical certifications, and workforce credentialing programs.
- Digital & Technological Training – Provide coding boot camps, IT training, and workforce-readiness courses to ensure digital literacy.
- Mental Health & Substance Use Support
- Expand Access to Mental Health & Addiction Treatment – Ensure individuals have immediate access to counseling, peer support programs, and long-term mental health care.
- Mandatory Pre-Release & Post-Release Support Plans – Require correctional facilities to develop individualized transition plans that address healthcare, employment, and social reintegration.
- Legal & Financial Assistance
- Expungement & Record-Sealing Services – When applicable, provide government-funded legal aid to assist with record expungement to remove employment and housing barriers.
- Debt Relief & Financial Education – Offer financial counseling to address outstanding court fees, child support obligations, and reentry-related economic challenges.
- Community & Civic Reintegration
- Restoration of Voting Rights – Automatically restore voting rights to individuals upon release from incarceration.
- Family Reunification & Social Support – Fund programs that assist returning citizens in reconnecting with family and community networks.
- Local Reentry Support Centers – Establish community-based resource hubs to provide returning citizens with navigation support for jobs, healthcare, and legal aid.
- Restorative Justice & Alternatives to Reincarceration
- Expansion of Restorative Justice Programs – Develop alternatives to incarceration that focus on rehabilitation and reconciliation.
- Parole & Probation Reform – End punitive parole conditions that set individuals up for failure, replacing them with rehabilitative support systems
- Abolish For-Profit Reentry Services – Ban exploitative parole fees and prohibit private companies from profiting off probation services.
- Implementation & Oversight
- Federal Reentry Program Office – Establish a dedicated agency within the Department of Labor to oversee and fund rehabilitation initiatives.
- Local & State Partnerships – Provide grants to states, local governments, and community organizations to implement evidence-based reentry programs.
- Mandatory Data Collection & Impact Reporting – Require transparent reporting on program outcomes, employment rates, and recidivism reduction.
- Employment & Workforce Development