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

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

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

2004 年那個下午就如同 我家中任何其他平靜的下午。

Cartoons were blaring,

卡通片大聲播放著，

kids were running around the house, yelling loudly,

孩子在家中跑來跑去，大聲喊叫，

"VeggieTales" on 100.

《蔬菜大冒險》第一百集。

Well, maybe not so peaceful,

好吧，也許不算平靜，

but for a young mother, it was perfect.

但對年輕的母親而言 已經很完美了。

It was like music to my ears.

聽起來如同音樂般悅耳。

But then there was a loud knock at the door

但接著有人大聲敲門，打斷了笑聲。

that just disrupted that laughter.

And my kids yelled out to me, “Mommy,

我的孩子大聲叫我：「媽咪，

The police are at the door!”

門外有警察！」

And as I walked up to talk to the police,

當我走上前與警察交談時，就彷彿 我步入了查理‧布朗的電影。

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

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

各位還記得查理的老師 說話就是「哇、哇、哇」？

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

因為話語變得模糊不清，

而我整個狀況外。

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

我突然清醒過來，心想：

"Oh, shit.

「喔，該死。

I'm about to be arrested."

我就要被逮捕了。」

I was about to be arrested because two months prior

我就要被逮捕，是因為兩個月之前

I had wrote a check for $87.26 for groceries.

我開了張支票，

金額是八十七塊 二十六分錢，用來買雜貨。

那張支票跳票了。

And that check had bounced.

And let me be clear.

讓我說清楚，有樣東西叫做 「檢察官自由裁量權」，意即

There is a thing called prosecutorial discretion,

meaning the district attorney did not have to prosecute me,

地方檢察官不一定要起訴我，

but they did.

但他們起訴了。

And totally against my fashion statement, right,

完全違背我的時尚宣言，

the police placed

警察

these silver bracelets on my arms.

把這些銀色的手鐲

套在我的手上，手銬。

Handcuffs.

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

那天他們在我的寶貝 面前給我上手銬。

And took me to jail.

送我進監牢。

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

幸運的是我很快就回家了， 因為我是初犯。

because it was my first offense.

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

且我保證，我回到家的 第一件事就是去借錢

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

償還那張支票。

And then I had to borrow some more money

接著我還得再借更多錢，

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

去支付被逮捕和坐牢的 費用，因為，當然，

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

我坐擁大量現金， 因為我是年輕的母親，

帶著四個孩子， 八十七塊的支票還跳票。

bouncing 87-dollar checks.

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

而我心知肚明，

我人生的那一個章節已經結束了。

只是，並沒有，

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

因為，要知道，那次逮捕和定罪 會一直留在我的記錄中。

it remained on my record.

那一刻我了解了我真正的刑期 才剛開始，因為，你們知道嗎，

And at that moment,

I realized that my true sentence had just begun,

because you know what?

我孩子的學校不再接受我去當志工。

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

I could no longer rent where I want to rent

我不再能租下我想租的 房子，因為法律允許

because it is legal for landlords to discriminate

房東歧視有犯罪記錄的人。

against a person with a record.

I even faced barriers trying to go to college.

連我想要去讀大學都受到阻礙。

And still to this day I am excluded from certain certifications

至今，仍然，

有些認證和職業證照 會把我排除在外。

and occupational license.

All I could keep asking myself was, "Damn,

我只能一直問自己：「要命，

when will my sentence end?”

我的刑期何時才會結束？」

And sadly, I am not alone.

可悲的是，我並不孤單。

There are more than 100 million Americans,

有超過一億美國人

that is one in three people,

也就是三分之一的美國人

who have an arrest or conviction on their record.

有被逮捕或定罪的記錄。

And get this, more than 94 percent of employers,

且，聽好了，

超過 94% 的雇主、

more than 90 percent of landlords

超過 90% 的房東，

and 72 percent of colleges and universities

以及超過 72% 的大專院校

use background checks to screen out applicants,

會用背景檢查來篩選申請人，

making it harder for millions of Americans to access jobs,

讓數百萬美國人更難取得工作、

housing and education.

住房，和教育。

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

我會心想，要命，我是要 怎樣才能脫身並做得更好？

if no one will rent to me,

如果沒人要租房子給我， 沒人要僱我，我甚至不能上學？

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

But I believe, I truly believe

但我相信，

我真心相信美國是個 「第二次機會」的國家。

that America is a nation of second chances.

And I say that

我這麼說是因為

because just about every state has laws on the books

幾乎每個州都有法律明文 讓符合資格的人清除

that allow a person to get their record cleared

once they're eligible.

其犯罪記錄。

And right now, there are more than 30 million people

現在，有超過三千萬人

who are eligible to get their record cleared.

符合清除犯罪記錄的資格。

But this is where it gets a little crazy.

但這就是有點瘋狂之處了。

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

那些人當中只有不到 10% 真的把犯罪記錄清除了。

Either they don’t know about it,

有些人是不知情，

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

或者，就算知情， 流程也太多繁文褥節、

costly and full of red tape.

太昂貴，且滿是繁瑣手續。

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

比如，在某些州，

民眾光是要取得清除記錄的 資格就得等上五至十年。

just to even qualify to get their record cleared.

Then you have to appear in person to petition.

接著你必須要親自去申請。

That means you need to take time off work,

那就表示你的工作得請假，

and let's keep it real,

咱們實際點，

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

光是要找到工作就夠困難的了。

You have to file a mountain of paperwork

你還得提交一大堆文件，

and then sometimes you have to pay processing fees

接著有時你還得支付處理費，

up to 500 dollars per charge.

高達每項指控五百元。

And then if you're smart,

如果你很聰明，你會想找個 律師幫你走完整個流程。

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

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

那就表示，如果你跟我 一樣犯的罪是太貧窮，

record clearance is not even accessible.

根本不可能將記錄清除。

I'm looking at some of your faces.

我正看著在座一些人的表情。

You seem really bummed out and discouraged.

你們似乎相當沮喪且灰心。

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

但我保證，我大老遠跑來溫哥華 來 TED 不是要捎來壞消息的。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I got some good news.

我有一些好消息。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

This record clearance problem is solvable and it's fixable

這個記錄清除問題是可以解決 和修正的，且我們正在進行。

and we're doing the damn thing.

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

關鍵在於自動幫符合 資格的人清除記錄。

We are removing all that red tape,

我們要除去所有的繁瑣手續，

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

我們的做法是要通過我們 所謂的「重新開始」法律。

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

該法律說的是，一旦一個人保持

沒有犯罪的狀態一段時間且符合資格，

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

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

保持不犯罪的時間要多長 則是根據州的定義，

that their record is automatically cleared.

那麼他的犯罪記錄就會被自動清除。

Red tape cut.

繁瑣手續沒了。

And this is the beautiful thing about it.

這就是它的美妙之處：

We shift the burden from the person who made the mistake

我們把擔子從犯錯的人身上轉移

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

到試圖將他們困在 那個錯誤中的體制上。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

And y'all, these policies are working.

各位，這些政策是有用的。

And I know that because I am the proud CEO

我知道，因為我是「重新開始」 行動自豪的執行長，

of the Clean Slate Initiative.

And in just the last three years,

光是在過去三年， 我們就協助了六個州

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

通過重新開始法律。

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

我說的是紅色的州、藍色的州，

甚至紫色的州。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

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

這些法律已經讓三百萬人

記錄被清除。

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

那表示數百萬人不再需要 帶著汙名和羞恥過生活。

and shame attached to their name.

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

有一次，我見到一位老人家，

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

他八十幾歲了，但他是個 很脆弱的八十歲老人。

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

我在佛羅里達州邁阿密的 記錄清除法律服務中心見到他，

and I could not fathom why this man was there.

我無法理解為什麼這個人會在那裡。

He was there to get his record cleared.

他去清除他的記錄。

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

我腦中只能想著，他不是 為了找工作而去那裡，

find housing.

也不是要找住房。

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

他不希望到死時還被 他的記錄定義他的一生。

Clean slate laws will even help people like him too.

重新開始法律也能 協助像他這樣的人。

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

只要州長的一筆，我們就能夠為

we were able to unlock dreams for millions.

數百萬人的夢想打開大門。

And because it’s an Audacious Project,

因為它是 TED 的 「大膽計畫」，我們正在邁向

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

實現記錄自動清除的目標。

在五十州都實現。

A reality in all 50 states.

We're building a pathway that automatic record clearance

我們正在邁向在五十州都能 實現記錄自動清除的目標，

is a reality in all 50 states

that will unlock second chances for additional 14 million people.

實現之後還能為另外 一千四萬人開啟第二次機會。

(Cheers and applause)

（歡呼及掌聲）

I just want to leave you all with this.

我最後想和大家分享一點。

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

我甚至想邀請大家

在我問這個問題時閉上眼睛。

Because it's really important.

因為它真的很重要。

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

我想請你想想你自己 得到的所有第二次機會。

Whether it was from your teachers,

不論是你的老師給的、

your parents,

你的父母給的、

your community,

你的社區給的，

甚至你的孩子給的。

even your kids.

Think about what that felt like.

想想那是什麼感受。

Think about what that did for you.

想想那對你有什麼影響。

I know for me,

我知道對我而言，

it enabled me to be able to change,

第二次機會讓我能夠改變， 將我的痛苦轉變成目的。

like turn my pain into purpose.

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

讓我在走進一間房間時 能感覺被看見，

not as damaged goods, but as untapped potential.

不是被視為受損的商品， 而是未開發的潛能。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

That is the power of a second chance.

這就是第二次機會的力量。

That is the power of a clean slate.

這就是重新開始的力量。

And there's no greater gift than that.

沒有比那更棒的禮物。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Cheers and applause)

（歡呼及掌聲）