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Simulation showcases the pressures put on individuals with criminal records

February 24, 2017

It's just trying to mimic all the struggles, time pressures, and the resource pressures that somebody who has some sort of exposure ...
“It’s just trying to mimic all the struggles, time pressures, and the resource pressures that somebody who has some sort of exposure to the criminal justice system in some form or fashion would actually face in real life, dealing with a limited amount of time and a limited amount of money,” said Amy Mahan L’17.
On February 22, as a part of Penn Law’s ninth annual Public Interest Week, the Law School hosted “A Life Unraveled: How Criminal Records Destabilize the Lives of Low-Income Individuals.” The program simulated the struggles facing individuals with criminal backgrounds such as custody issues, access to housing, and financial stability.

By Maria Biery C’18

On February 22, as a part of Penn Law’s ninth annual Public Interest Week, the Law School hosted “A Life Unraveled: How Criminal Records Destabilize the Lives of Low-Income Individuals.” The program simulated the struggles facing individuals with criminal backgrounds such as custody issues, access to housing, and financial stability.

The event was co-sponsored by the Criminal Record Expungement Project, the Penn Housing Rights Project, the Custody & Support Assistance Clinic, the Employment Advocacy Project, Penn Law Advocates for the Homeless, the Guild Food Stamp Clinic, PARDON ME, and the Toll Public Interest Center.

In the simulation, every six minutes represented a week, explained the organizer of the event, Penn Law student Amy Mahan L’17. Participants had to pay rent, buy groceries, and take care of other day-to-day tasks, while also dealing with other challenges, such as custody issues. In addition, the simulation included the various services a low-income individual with a criminal might have access to, such as housing and legal assistance.

“It’s just trying to mimic all the struggles, time pressures, and the resource pressures that somebody who has some sort of exposure to the criminal justice system in some form or fashion would actually face in real life, dealing with a limited amount of time and a limited amount of money,” said Mahan. “It’s kind of like an empathy generating activity.”

In one of the scenarios, the character, Keri Seitz, is a disabled mother of a ten-year-old girl. She was convicted of fraud for using a false address in order to register her daughter at a school in a safer suburb with higher quality public schools. After being released from jail, she lives at a shelter for women and children, but it only allows her to stay there for four weeks. Seitz cannot rent an apartment without proper identification for a background check, and, at the same time, the paternal grandmother of her daughter files for custody. The character has to re-apply for disability income, but it is likely that the Post Office will deny her request if she changes her mailing address from a commercial address to a residential address.

After the simulation, Mike Lee, founder and executive director of the Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity, led a discussion with the participants about the struggles that they faced and how the simulation reflected real life situations.

“I think this simulation really highlights where the front line really lies,” stated Lee, “and it’s very easy for us as attorneys or future attorneys to put on emphasis in the services we provide.”

“All we change is a piece of paper, and how other people view or treat that person as a result,” he added. “We really focus on reminding people that personal history is more important than criminal history.”

Tweets from this event: