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From prison to freedom: Knoxville program is helping ex-convicts get their rights back

The Knoxville Area Urban League is hosting a program that works to make sure ex-convicts can vote, drive and get their rights back.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — When a prisoner is released from jail, their sentence may not be totally over. Many face challenges to reclaim their voting rights, or even getting a driver's license. A program through the Knoxville Area Urban League is working to make sure ex-convicts get their rights back after returning to society.

The urban league faces a challenge itself. Tennessee is one of the toughest states to expunge charges in.

"I've never given up. I've always tried to keep moving forward," said Derrick Ellis, an ex-convict who went to the urban league for help.

He was 22 years old when he started running into issues with the law. Eventually, he landed a felony charge.

"I was very scared and I did try to run, and Knoxville police was — they was light on me that day," he said. "You make a mistake, and you have to pay for it. I paid for this mistake over 30 years."

As a result of his felony, Ellis lost his voting rights for ten years and lost his citizenship rights for decades. According to state law, a felony can lead to more than a year in prison and cause someone to lose rights related to driving, gun ownership, and voting. A misdemeanor can involve less than a year in prison and stays on a person's record for seven years.

In Tennessee, only certain criminal records can be expunged. State policy also now requires people convicted of a felony to get their gun rights back before they can be eligible to cast a ballot.

"Restoring one's record is not just about clearing charges that they faced in the past. it's also about giving them a fresh start," said Charles Lomax, Jr., President and CEO of the Knoxville Urban League. "It's all about breaking the cycle, and we want to make sure that we are facing poverty head-on."

The organization's expungement clinics aim to help transition ex-convicts into everyday life.

"They have difficulty finding a job, they have difficulty finding somewhere to live," said Lomax.

Because of the urban league, Ellis has a new life after his run-in with the police. He's a full-time employee holding two jobs and even launched a line of cooking seasonings.

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