Obama is announcing new rehab initiatives for ex-prisoners

(Image credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

published 2 November 2015

As part of his ongoing push for criminal justice reform, President Obama is set to announce new initiatives Monday designed to help former prisoners get back on their feet, CNN reports.

In a trip to Newark, New Jersey, Obama is expected to call on Congress to "ban the box" on federal job applications, referring to the question on federal job applications that requires applicants to disclose their criminal histories. Obama will also promote tech training initiatives, proposed changes to affordable housing restrictions, and $8 million in Department of Education grants for communities that help adults after incarceration.

"Each year, more than 600,000 individuals are released from state and federal prisons," a White House statement read. "Advancing policies and programs that enable these men and women to put their lives back on track and earn their second chance promotes not only justice and fairness, but also public safety."

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Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.