How "Second Chance" Laws Could Transform the US Justice System | Sheena Meade | TED

翻译人员: Belle Heng 校对人员: sylvia feng

It was like any other peaceful afternoon in my home in 2004.

在2004年 就像我家任何平静的下午

Cartoons were blaring,

卡通片的声量很刺耳，

kids were running around the house, yelling loudly,

孩子们在房子里跑闹, 大声地喊叫，

"VeggieTales" on 100.

“蔬菜总动员”音量拉到满格。

Well, maybe not so peaceful,

好吧，也许没那么平静，

but for a young mother, it was perfect.

但对于一个年轻的母亲来说 它是完美的。

It was like music to my ears.

它在我耳中就像音乐。

But then there was a loud knock at the door

但这时传来大声的敲门声

that just disrupted that laughter.

突然打断了嬉笑声。

And my kids yelled out to me, “Mommy,

我的孩子们对我喊， “妈咪，门口有警察！”

The police are at the door!”

And as I walked up to talk to the police,

而当我走上前去接待警察时，

it's almost like I walked into the Charlie Brown movie.

几乎像是我走进了 一部查理布朗电影。

Do you all remember the teacher when she just like, “Womp, womp, womp?”

你们还记得老师 “呜呜呜” 的时候吗？

Because the words were just getting lost, and I didn’t know what was going on.

因为那时每个字都非常乱， 而我不知道发生了什么。

And I just snapped out of it and I was like,

然后我突然清醒了，心想

"Oh, shit.

“哦，完了。我马上要被逮捕了。”

I'm about to be arrested."

I was about to be arrested because two months prior

我即将被逮捕 因为两个月之前

I had wrote a check for $87.26 for groceries.

我在超市购物时， 写了一张87.26美元的支票。

And that check had bounced.

而那张支票被退回了。

And let me be clear.

还有让我申明一点。

There is a thing called prosecutorial discretion,

有个东西叫检控自由裁量权，

meaning the district attorney did not have to prosecute me,

意味着地方检察官 不必起诉我，

but they did.

但他们还是做了

And totally against my fashion statement, right,

而且完全违背了 我的时尚宣言，对吧.

the police placed

警察把银色的手环

these silver bracelets on my arms.

带上了我的手臂。

Handcuffs.

手铐。

And that day they handcuffed me in front of my babies.

那天他们在我的宝宝们面前 铐上了我。

And took me to jail.

并把我带到监狱。

You know, luckily I was able to come home pretty quickly

你要知道，我很幸运能快速回家

because it was my first offense.

因为我是初犯。

And I promise, the first thing I did when I got home,

而且我保证，我回家做的第一件事是

I borrowed some money so I could pay that check back.

借了一些钱，好还那张支票。

And then I had to borrow some more money

然后我得再借多一些钱

to pay back the fees for getting arrested and going to jail

来还被逮捕和去监狱的费用，

because, of course, I was loaded in cash because I was a young mom with four kids

因为, 作为一名四个孩子的年轻妈妈， 我当然是个大款

bouncing 87-dollar checks.

以至于87美元的支票没钱付被退回

And I just knew that that chapter of my life was closed.

我以为 我生命中的这个篇章告一段落了

Except it wasn't, because see, that arrest in that conviction,

但它没有 因为你看 那个逮捕和判刑

it remained on my record.

留在了我的记录上

And at that moment,

而在那一刻

I realized that my true sentence had just begun,

我明白了我真正的判决才刚开始

because you know what?

你知道为什么吗？

I was no longer allowed to volunteer at my children’s school.

因为我不再能 当我孩子们学校的志愿者

I could no longer rent where I want to rent

我不再能租我想租的房子

because it is legal for landlords to discriminate

因为一个房东可以合法的歧视房客

against a person with a record.

仅凭他们有犯罪记录

I even faced barriers trying to go to college.

我甚至试图上大学时 面临着阻拦

And still to this day I am excluded from certain certifications

而且直到今日 我无法获得一些证书

and occupational license.

和职业执照

All I could keep asking myself was, "Damn,

我能问我自己的只是

when will my sentence end?”

“妈的，这判决 要什么时候才到头？“

And sadly, I am not alone.

悲伤的是 我不是一个人

There are more than 100 million Americans,

有多与一亿的美国人

that is one in three people,

也是每三个人中的一人

who have an arrest or conviction on their record.

在档案上有犯罪记录

And get this, more than 94 percent of employers,

而且 多于百分之九十四的雇主

more than 90 percent of landlords

和多于百分之九十点房东

and 72 percent of colleges and universities

与百分之七十二的学院和大学

use background checks to screen out applicants,

用背景筛选来排除申请者

making it harder for millions of Americans to access jobs,

让上百万的美国人就业

housing and education.

找房和教育困难

It's like, damn, how am I supposed to get out and do better

它就像是 妈的 我要如何生活的更好

if no one will rent to me,

如果没人让我租房

no one will hire me, and I can’t even go to school?

雇佣我工作 而且我没法去上学？

But I believe, I truly believe

但我相信 我真的相信

that America is a nation of second chances.

美国是一个给予第二次机会的国家

And I say that

我这么说因为

because just about every state has laws on the books

几乎每一个州都有记录法律

that allow a person to get their record cleared

让一个人清楚犯罪记录

once they're eligible.

一旦他们符合标准

And right now, there are more than 30 million people

而现今 有超过3000万人

who are eligible to get their record cleared.

符合清除记录的标准

But this is where it gets a little crazy.

但这里事情变得魔幻起来

Less than 10 percent of those people actually get it done.

小于百分之十的人 实际上去把记录消除

Either they don’t know about it,

他们要么不知情

or, if they do, the process is so bureaucratic,

要么 去尝试 但是过程过于官僚

costly and full of red tape.

昂贵 且充满繁文缛节

For instance, in some states people have to wait just about five to 10 years

比如 在有些州 人们需要等五到十年

just to even qualify to get their record cleared.

仅仅为了符合清除记录的标准

Then you have to appear in person to petition.

然后你得本人去申请

That means you need to take time off work,

这代表这你得请假

and let's keep it real,

让我们实话实说

it was hard enough to find a job in the first place.

本来就够难找工作了

You have to file a mountain of paperwork

你得填堆积成山的文书

and then sometimes you have to pay processing fees

然后有时得付处理费

up to 500 dollars per charge.

上至500美元每次

And then if you're smart,

接着如果你够聪明

you may want to just get a lawyer to help you navigate that whole process.

也许你选择找律师 帮你引导整个过程

So that means if your crime was being poor like mine,

所以这代表如果你像我 罪名是贫穷

record clearance is not even accessible.

你甚至接触不到清除记录的机会

I'm looking at some of your faces.

我在观察你们有些人的表情

You seem really bummed out and discouraged.

你们看上去真的很沮丧 和气馁

But I promise I didn't come all the way to Vancouver, TED, to tell you bad news.

不过我保证 我不是来TED 告诉你个坏消息的

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I got some good news.

我有些好消息

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

This record clearance problem is solvable and it's fixable

这个记录清除问题是可以解决 的它可以修复

and we're doing the damn thing.

而我们在做这该死的事情

And the key is automatic record clearance for those who are eligible.

秘诀就是让符合标准的人 自动记录清除

We are removing all that red tape,

我们拿走所有的繁文缛节

and we do that by passing what we call “clean slate” laws.

而我们可以通过 “焕然一新”法律来这么做

And what that is, is laws that say once a person has remained crime-free

它代表 一旦某人在一定时间内 没有犯罪

for a set period of time and they're eligible,

而且他们符合标准

a set period of time by the state’s definition, remaining crime-free,

一定时间内 根据州法律 维持无犯罪状态

that their record is automatically cleared.

那么他们的记录将自动清除

Red tape cut.

剪掉繁文缛节

And this is the beautiful thing about it.

这是他美丽的地方

We shift the burden from the person who made the mistake

我们把包袱从犯错的人 转移到了

to the system that tries to trap them in that mistake.

让他们困于错误的系统上

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

And y'all, these policies are working.

而且 大家 这些警察在做事

And I know that because I am the proud CEO

我这么说因为 我是一名自豪的行政总裁

of the Clean Slate Initiative.

代表焕然一新倡议

And in just the last three years,

且在最近三年

we've been able to help six states pass clean slate laws.

我们帮助六个州 通过焕然一新法案

I'm talking about red states, blue states and even purple states, OK?

我说的可是红州，蓝州 甚至紫州，好吗？

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

That has resulted in three million people getting their records cleared.

这导致三百万人 能够记录清除

That's millions of people who no longer have to walk around with stigma

这是不需要带着耻辱

and shame attached to their name.

和羞愧的百万人

I even, one time y'all, met this older fellow.

我甚至 大家伙们 一次遇到了一个老先生

I mean, he was in his 80s, but he was a fragile 80-year-old man.

我的意思是 他已经80多岁了， 他是一个脆弱的80岁老人。

I met him in Miami, Florida, at an expungement clinic,

我在迈阿密，弗罗里达州 的办案处遇到他

and I could not fathom why this man was there.

我无法理解他为什么在那里。

He was there to get his record cleared.

他在那为了清除记录。

And all I could think about was, he wasn't there to get a job,

我能想到的是 他不是为了找份工作

find housing.

找房子。

He didn't want to die being defined by his record.

他不想死后还被记录所定义。

Clean slate laws will even help people like him too.

焕然一新法案也会帮助 像他这样的人。

It's like with a stroke of a governor's pen,

一个州长笔的一画，

we were able to unlock dreams for millions.

我们就能解锁百万之梦。

And because it’s an Audacious Project,

而因为这是个 Audacious Project

we're on a pathway to make automatic record clearance a reality.

我们走在自动清除记录的路上

A reality in all 50 states.

在每一个五十个州成为现实。

We're building a pathway that automatic record clearance

我们在建立通往 自动清除记录的道路

is a reality in all 50 states

在五十个州成为现实

that will unlock second chances for additional 14 million people.

会解锁额外1400万人 的第二次机会。

(Cheers and applause)

（喝彩和掌声）

I just want to leave you all with this.

我想最后留下这些话

And I even invite some of you to close your eyes when I ask you this.

我甚至鼓励你们其中一些人 闭上眼睛当你听我说。

Because it's really important.

因为它很重要。

I want you to think about all the second chances that you've received.

我希望你们想象 你们收到的那些第二次机会。

Whether it was from your teachers,

无论是来自你们的老师，

your parents,

你们的父母，

your community,

你们的社区，

even your kids.

或是孩子。

Think about what that felt like.

想想那是什么感觉。

Think about what that did for you.

想想它为你做了什么。

I know for me,

我知道对我来说，

it enabled me to be able to change,

它让我能够改变，

like turn my pain into purpose.

把我的痛苦变成了意义。

It enabled me to be able to walk into a room and feel seen,

他让我能走进一个房间 并感到被看到，

not as damaged goods, but as untapped potential.

不是作为次品 而是作为未开发的潜力。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

That is the power of a second chance.

那就是第二次机会的力量。

That is the power of a clean slate.

那就是焕然一新的力量。

And there's no greater gift than that.

没有比这更伟大的礼物了。

Thank you.

谢谢你们。

(Cheers and applause)

（喝彩和掌声）