Thank you, David and June Trone, Total Wine co-founder!
David Trone, Total Wine & More co-founder and his wife, June, have donated $15 million to the American Civil Liberties Union to expand a campaign to cut prison populations and promote private initiatives to rehabilitate and employ ex-convicts.
The Washington Post reported that the Trones are part of a growing number of executives who believe “that draconian punishments have gone too far and cost too much, incarcerating 2.2 million Americans, pouring $80 billion a year into prisons and jails and hollowing out families — particularly in low-income and minority communities.”
In contrast to The GEO Group, Florida Governor Rick Scott and Lobbyist Ron Book who are pushing for more incarceration so they can make more money, there are some out there with a sense of reason.
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I am a offender and have been looking for a year for a job and all these companies that say they will hire ex felons are not true, because they will not hire people that are offenders, because they feel it will ruin their reputation if anyone found out. A lot of us ex felons and offenders are on the right path, but it gets thrown back into our faces every day. Give us a chance to prove ourselves to the world and our communities.
Yeah the ACLU stands up for people that need it – most will not even fight! And good for Total Wine and More – do they walk the walk? Do they give former offenders jobs?
They DO!!! They also support the “Ban the Box” movement!
Now let’s see ACLU help those who need it instead of spending it fighting those stupid lawsuits they fight.
That’s not nice, Christine. The ACLU is representing us in a lawsuit challenging the Sex Offender Residency Restrictions in Florida.
There are many of us impacted by these draconian laws, which will be impacted positively by this litigation. I strongly urge you to consider the thousands of homeless registrants who are on the streets or under bridges because of these ordinances. If you can find some compassion, you might not consider the lawsuits so stupid.
Christine,
Perhaps you’re aware of certain lawsuits that I am not? Can you offer specific examples of lawsuits you believe to be “stupid” (or perhaps you mean less important than other suits?)
Perspective is certainly an issue that affects opinion and I would be interested in yours.
JR
That is a selfish statement Christine. The ACLU defends everything and anybody or any group that needs it. Not just registered citizens. We should be grateful that they got a few of our cases – important ones at best, that they are currently fighting for us. Residency restrictions, I believe also the registering of internet IDs as well and some others I can’t remember.
Now back to the article. This is disturbing and disgusting as well. You have to have no conscious whatsoever to run a business corporation that your profits rely on the freedom and human rights of others. Not to mention that some of these are elected officials make it even more so. Nobody is safe when a system goes private for profit. Not even for those very same people who are apart of it.
I’m just grateful once again that as the article states, there are a growing number of executives like this ” Trones ” that have voiced their opinions in opposition. Hope their influenced as well as the ACLU’s can triumph.