Also written: Ex-felon, Convicted felon
| Source | Year | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Immigrant Defense Project | 2020 | Avoid |
| Immigrant Defense Project | 2021 | Avoid |
| Sierra Club | 2021 | Avoid |
| Diversity Style Guide | 2023 | Avoid |
““Felon;” “convict;” “ex-con;” “offender” … As health experts have noted, this carries a significant amount of stigma. These terms may paint an overly simplistic picture to readers. … Alternatives: Person with a felony conviction.”
The Immigrant Defense Project's journalist guide lists "felon" among problematic terms to reconsider, citing its stigma, and prefers "person with a felony conviction."
““Felon;” “convict;” “ex-con;” “offender” … As health experts have noted, this carries a significant amount of stigma. These terms may paint an overly simplistic picture to readers. … Alternatives: Person with a felony conviction.”
The Comm/Unity Style Guide — prepared by the Comm/Unity Network, anchored by IDP — carries the same combined entry, flagging "felon" as stigmatizing and preferring "person with a felony conviction."
““formerly incarcerated person” or “people with loved ones in prison” are respectful terms, as opposed to reductive terms like “inmate” or “felon.” People-first language is a useful approach to take with many identity issues throughout this guide.”
Sierra Club's people-first guidance contrasts "reductive terms like 'inmate' or 'felon'" with respectful constructions such as "formerly incarcerated person," while noting some individuals prefer identity-first language and that writers should ask.
“Avoid these terms when referring to a person who has been convicted of a crime, because it defines or labels people based on the crime. Instead, use people-first language. The Marshall Project … recommends using specific language that avoids labeling or dehumanizing people.”
The Diversity Style Guide treats "felon" and "offender" in a single entry, advising against both because they label people by their crime, and pointing to the Marshall Project's specific, people-first constructions (e.g., "Jane Doe was convicted of felony robbery").
“Felon” is an avoid across every source that treats it. The prescribed move is people-first language that names the conviction without making it the person. The Immigrant Defense Project / Comm/Unity “Problematic Terms to Reconsider” chart groups felon with convict, ex-con, and offender as stigmatizing, offering “person with a felony conviction.” Sierra Club names felon and inmate together as “reductive terms,” set against “formerly incarcerated person.” The Diversity Style Guide’s combined “felon, offender” entry gives the rationale most directly: these terms label “people based on the crime.”
On the advocacy side, SumOfUs’s incarceration guidance is built around the decriminalizing-language slogan “Felons, not families” — “felon” is the word organizers push against. The page pairs with convict, inmate, and offender; felon and offender share the Diversity Style Guide’s single combined entry.