Restoring humanity: Changing the way we talk about people touched by the criminal justice system

When we refer to people who are, or have been, in contact with the criminal justice system as “felons,” “offenders,” “inmates,” or “convicts,” we define them by the worst act of their lives, creating a stigma that lingers long after they’ve paid their debt to society. If we are serious about removing barriers for people with felony convictions, we must change the words we use to describe them.