2 Studies Find Laws on Felons Forbid Many Black Men to Vote As many as one of every seven black men in Atlanta who have been convicted of a felony, and one of every four in Providence, R.I., cannot vote in this year's election, according to a pair of studies released yesterday. The studies, the first to look at felon disenfranchisement laws' effect on voting in individual cities, add to a growing body of evidence that those laws have a disproportionate effect on African-Americans because the percentage of black men with felony convictions is much larger than their share of the general population. The study in Atlanta concluded that two-thirds of the gap in voter registration between black males and other ethnic and gender groups was attributable to Georgia's felon disenfranchisement law. "We have the conventional wisdom that African-American males register to vote at lower rates because of political apathy," said the study's author, Ryan King of the Sentencing Project, a research and prisoners' rights group based in Washington. But the new data clearly indicate that "their registration is artificially suppressed by the disproportionate effect of their disenfranchisement." The Atlanta study also found that about a third of black men who had lost the right to vote because of a felony had been convicted of drug crimes. "This is important," Mr. King said, "because drug arrests are inherently discretionary." Other research has shown that blacks do not use drugs more than whites but are arrested on drug charges, and convicted, at a much higher rate. Interest in the effect of felon disenfranchisement laws has increased since the presidential election of 2000, when George W. Bush won Florida by only 537 votes; an estimated 600,000 people in the state, most black, were barred from voting because of felony convictions. Florida is one of nine states that permanently forbid a felon to vote, even after the prison term or time on probation or parole has been fulfilled. Neither Georgia nor Rhode Island goes that far; in both states, a felon can recover the right to vote after serving his time in prison or on probation or parole. National estimates are that five million people, roughly 2.3 percent of the electorate, will be barred from voting in November by state laws that strip felons of voting rights. And Carl Route, a 47-year-old ex-felon who lives in Atlanta and works with the National Association of Previous Prisoners, says that even that number does not take full account of black men who do not vote because of a felony conviction. "A lot of the guys I work with have no clue they are eligible to vote after they have served all their time," Mr. Route said. "They are just trying to survive, so they don't want to be bothered by the process." "When you've got food, clothing and shelter issues,'' he said, "you are not concerned with voting.'' Mr. Route, who was convicted in 1983 of possession of marijuana with intent to sell and sentenced to 10 years' probation, said he began to vote only two years ago, because, he said, Georgia's law was so confusing. The study in Providence, by the Rhode Island Family Life Center, which assists inmates returning home from prison, found that disenfranchisement was particularly concentrated in poor neighborhoods with large numbers of blacks. For example, more than 40 percent of black men in several neighborhoods in south Providence are barred from voting. The Atlanta study pointed out that such concentrations meant that more than the individual disenfranchised was affected: politicians are less likely to campaign in these neighborhoods, which are less likely to benefit from government spending.

Hey, loss of voting rights is PART OF YOUR SENTENCE along with the time some spent in prison.


Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

I was going to post the same article later Mac

but its racist cant you see

... tough shit

um, this isn't half as scary as the ever-growing cry that immigrants are"disenfranchised".
you watch. they'll introduce some shit legislation in the Ca state legislature that extends voting to all residents of california irregardless of legal or citizenship status.

fortunately, felons can't vote and noone cares about their rights. so if you don't like your state's policy of you losing your voting status permanently for a felony conviction then move to a state that will allow you to vote. duh.

Everyone who is a Felon that I know is a Kerry and Dem in general supporter.

Lets see if this works:  

Let me guess....ummm...was this "study", put out by the Democratic Party?

Quoted: Lets see if this works:

HAHAHAHAHAHA !!!

I think I love you !

LOL, Persephone will never be single for long with that attitude.  Atta girl!


ETA:  Like my dad always says: "I am NOT a racist.  I am a statistician."

Quoted: LOL, Persephone will never be single for long with that attitude.  Atta girl! ETA:  Like my dad always says: "I am NOT a racist.  I am a statistician."

Are we related?  My dad always says "I'm not prejudiced, I hate everyone equally."

[GunnyHartman]There is no racial bigotry here.....here you are all equally worthless![/GunnyHartman]

LOL @ P...

They should have thought about what they did and how it will affect them

My heart bleeds hot pisswater for felons

I don't see why I should feel sorry for these people.

They've proven they are nothing but a burden on society, and now they want to help decide how its ran?

I guess it depends on the felony to me .

Killed a chick after rapeing her ? Fuck you asshole rot .

Got drunk at 17 and broke a catapiler and they charged you as an adult? Well maybe , maybe not .

Quoted: I guess it depends on the felony to me . Killed a chick after rapeing her ? Fuck you asshole rot . Got drunk at 17 and broke a catapiler and they charged you as an adult? Well maybe , maybe not .

I think that would more focus on what should be considered a Felony

Well, yes, they are technically disenfranchised. A franchise is an officially granted privilege or right.

Personally I think the revocation of their voter status should depend on what type of felony they've committed, as someone else said earlier.

I remember seeing what percentage of prisoners or felons supported the Democrat party on here onse anyone else remember that?

While we're talking about how these felons deserve to have thier rights taken away permantnly, let's pause and think about how many of us are potential felons.  i know damned well that many (if not most) of the folks here have probably violated at least one felony gun law.  

think about how many other idiotic laws count as felonies... in californbia, posession of a throwing star, switchblade, club or baton, or any number of things can get you a felony.  Think about that, a felony for a fucking throwing star!

my view is that anybody who is ready to be let out ofd prison is ready to have his rights restored.  if he isnt rehabilitated, than he shouldnt be let out,.  if youve done the time, than you should not be subjected to further punishment (ouside of a possible civil suit).  Hell, we all know that a felon who wants a gun will get one anyway.  for those felons that want to go legit, why should we tell them they must be defenseless?

I have to agree with Sawgunner. It's way too easy to run afoul of some obscure law and become an instant felon.  I think that only violent crimes ought to deserve disenfranchisement. Murderer, rapist, armed robbery, etc. Not drunk and smashed up your car (but if you smash someone elses...different story).

Not all felons are dangerous burdens on society, ya know.

In seriousness, Sawgunner, I think you're right.  There is so much reform that needs to be done at all levels.  

1) what do we consider a felony - there are some pretty stupid things that can land you the glorious title of felon.

2) when there is a person who has committed a crime so heinous that they everyone across the board can agree that this person is dangerous, a threat, etc.  how do we determine if he is really reformed and able to enter society?  Is there a certain # of years then bingo he/she is a useful member of society again?  Kinda doubt it.  But then what do we use to judge that is fool proof, is there anything?

3) If it can be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the person from scenario #2 is in fact reformed, do they deserve a second chance with full rights the same as any other person in society, or reflecting again on #1and what we call a felony - are there some crimes that are so evil even if the person is in fact reformed they should be happy to be breathing much less worry about whether they can vote.

In a perfect system where only the crooks go to jail, and only fully reformed people come out, I’d have a lot more compassion for felons who have served their time and can’t vote.  I hate that there are decent people that end up with “felon” on their sheet, I hope there aren’t many and I wish I knew what we could change to make it right.  

For right now, with the system we have and no easy answer at hand - to the people who have committed crimes when it comes to the vote, I’m really sorry, and I’m not sure what to do so all I can say is “it sucks to be you”.    Oh, and maybe “you should consider moving to a state that doesn’t have those laws or start a movement to revoke those laws in your state.”  That's not intended to be compassionless, just stumped.

The DNC is working overtime to ensure that crooks, both current and former get to vote.  Since statistics show that most of our prison population and most of those who once were guests of the states or feds just happen to be of the black persuaision, there is a huge voting bloc that would naturally vote for the Democrats, given the chance.

The laws are quite specific and clear.  Do the time and you lose your right to vote.  Only the lying, cheating, DESPERATE Democrats would try to evade this.

if we took a lot of stupid laws off the books and left the serious stuff  there we would not be disenfranchising so many potential voters.

while i havent used any recreational drugs since college i think that the laws governing them are idiotic. treat it like tobbaco for govt tax money and like alchohol for driving and we would solve a lot of stuff

These comments come from the same group of guy's who will all potentially be felons someday.

I agree we need to concentrate on what is a felony.

Then, once you've done your time and paid your fine, you should be fully reinstated.

If you cannot be trusted to arm and vote what are you doing out on the street?

Hold on, folks!

No matter what you did, if 'we' chose to let you out of prison, it is my firm belief that ALL your rights should be restored.

Yes, felons should vote and own guns.

If we can't trust them to do this, why are we letting them out of jail?

P.S.,
OTOH, I don't think we should let nearly so many of them out in the first place.

It's really that simple. In jail: no guns, no vote. Out of jail? You're a fully restored citizen.

As usual, there's a difference.

steal $500 you're a felon and a crook.

Steal $5 billion and you get a slap on the wrist and are considered a genius.

Go figure

Chris

Maybe we could just simplify the whole legal system and decree that as of this moment, only white males are hereby bound to follow the law of the land......all others will be exempt.

It's only fair yanno..

Quoted: once you've done your time and paid your fine, you should be fully reinstated. If you cannot be trusted to arm and vote what are you doing out on the street?

Prison time is just PART of their sentence.
Monetary fine is just PART of their sentence.
Loss of voting rights is just another PART of their sentence.

And there is certainly a precident for this kind of thing spelled out in the Constitution - any member of Congress or Judiciary who is impeached and convicted by the Senate for high crimes & misdemeanors is FOREVER barred from holding ANY elected office in the United States - even though they may never have been actually found guilty in a court of law.

If it's okay to bar someone FOR LIFE from ever being elected to any office because of an impeachment/conviction - then there's nothing wrong with barring someone from being able to vote because of a felony/conviction either.


The responsibilities for voting and holding office should be held to a MUCH higher standard than for simply being able to walk around "on the street".

Quoted: Hold on, folks! No matter what you did, if 'we' chose to let you out of prison, it is my firm belief that ALL your rights should be restored. Yes, felons should vote and own guns. If we can't trust them to do this, why are we letting them out of jail? P.S., OTOH, I don't think we should let nearly so many of them out in the first place. It's really that simple. In jail: no guns, no vote. Out of jail? You're a fully restored citizen.

+1

Gang-bangers and criminals vote?  Maybe they're breaking into your car or house while you're at the polls but I doubt if we have any serious numbers here.  Most likely just a ploy by the Democrats to show "th man's tryin t' keep us down!" for the audience of victims.

Anyway, I say let's test them out with giving them their firearm's rights back first and see how they do with them.....then give them the more powerful right back...the right to vote.

Quoted: These comments come from the same group of guy's who will all potentially be felons someday.

Only if you get caught.  I lost all my guns in a boating accident.

Quoted: Quoted: These comments come from the same group of guy's who will all potentially be felons someday. Only if you get caught.  I lost all my guns in a boating accident.

I think he is speaking in a "Someday they will come for all of our guns ." Kind of way .