We are part of a larger movement.
We founded Down the Road Movers in 2021, after years of organizing for the rights of system-impacted people with Direct Action for Rights and Equality (DARE)’s Behind the Walls Committee.
Trent Manning, Down the Road Movers founder, with the Behind the Walls Committee. He is standing next to his grandmother Joann Manning, who is the first of three generations of DARE organizers in his family.
Behind the Walls is a group of formerly incarcerated people and loved ones fighting for people impacted by prison system. It is also a community of peer support where we build one another up, take care of one another, and connect each other with resources and opportunities.
DARE was founded in 1986, and created the Behind the Walls Committee in the early 2000s. Over the last couple decades, Behind the Walls’ victories have included voting rights for formerly incarcerated people; Ban the Box legislation that deters employment discrimination; and greater access to public housing for people with records. In 2019, we passed the Fair Chance Licensing Bill, which prevents discrimination against formerly incarcerated people seeking occupational licensing.
Down the Road Movers came out of our years of organizing work, and with love and support from the Committee. We continue to organize with Behind the Walls and work closely with DARE to support members experiencing housing instability.
