Disenfranchisement

Disenfranchisement: some quick facts (and an opinion or two)

This year, maybe more than ever, every vote counts, making the issue of disenfranchisement all the more important. (For those of you who do not know, disenfranchisement refers to the denial of the right to vote of those convicted of a felony.)

Who is most affected by disenfranchisement? This is an easy one:- Approximately 4.6 million Americans - 1 in 50 adults - have currently or permanently been deprived of the right to vote as a result of felony convictions- Approximately 1.4 million African-American males are disenfranchised- Over 500,000 women have lost their right to vote- Nearly 73% of those disenfranchised are not in prison any more. - Thirteen percent of the black adult male population are disenfranchised, reflecting a rate of disenfranchisement that is seven times the national average. - More than one-third (36 percent) of the total disenfranchised population are black men. (1)

Not seeing the connection?- Ten states disenfranchise more than one in five adult black men; in seven of these states, one in four black men is permanently disenfranchised. - Given current rates of incarceration, three in ten of the next generation of black men will be disenfranchised at some point in their lifetime. - In states with the most restrictive voting laws, 40 percent of African American men are likely to be permanently disenfranchised.

I am not at all proud to be a resident of Virginia, one of ten states where ex-offenders who have fully served their sentences remain disenfranchised for life. (Others are Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming). (2) In Virginia, 1 in 4 African American men cannot vote; that is 110,000 citizens and counting! (3)

Let's take a step back.According to the latest statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice, more than two million men and women are now behind bars in the United States. (4) Although blacks account for only 12 percent of the U.S. population, 44 percent of all prisoners in the United States are black. (5) Nearly five percent of all black men, compared to 0.6 percent of white men, are incarcerated. (6)

Nationwide, black men are incarcerated at 9.6 times the rate of white men. In eleven states, black men are incarcerated at rates that are twelve to twenty-six times greater than those of white men. (7) Furthermore, the rate of drug admissions to state prison for black men is thirteen times greater than the rate for white men. (8)

Why is this? Again, an easy one: The War on Drugs.Nationwide, blacks make up about 62 percent of prisoners incarcerated on drug charges, compared with 36 percent of whites. Black men are admitted to state prison on drug charges at a rate about 13 times that of white men. (9)

Drug offenses account for nearly two out of five of the blacks sent to state prison. More blacks are sent to state prison for drug offenses (38 percent) than for crimes of violence (27 percent). In contrast, drug offenders constitute 24 percent of whites admitted to prison and violent offenders constitute 27 percent. (10)

And no, blacks don't use drugs more than whites.
Federal studies that show white drug users outnumber black drug users 5-to-1. (11) At best (or worst), government surveys show that all racial and cultural groups use illegal drugs at similar percentages. (12)

What really sucks?Half of all American juveniles in custody today have a father, mother or other close relative who has been in jail or prison. Experts assert that having a parent behind bars is the factor that puts children at greatest risk of becoming a juvenile delinquent and adult criminal. (13)

Why does it matter?Researchers estimate that the disenfranchised felon population is composed of approximately 35 percent ex-felons, 28 percent probationers, 9 percent parolees, and 27 percent prison inmates. The impact of felon disenfranchisement would have been greatly reduced had ex-felons, parolees, and probationers -- all citizens not currently in prison -- been permitted to vote in all states. Survey data suggest that Democratic candidates would have received about seven out of every ten votes cast by this disenfranchised population in 14 of the last 15 Senate election years. (14)

Some suggest that ex-felons should not be allowed to vote because they would (obviously) vote for policies that are soft on crime. So what? Lots of people vote for such policies. That should not stop them from having a right. Ex-felons have the right to work and pay taxes -- they are still considered citizens of our nation -- they should have the right to vote.

Others say that it doesn't matter since the majority of that population (ex-felons) would not vote anyway. Then why does it matter if we reinstate their right to vote?

The bottom line?Republicans are scared.

What can we do?Stop incarcerating nonviolent drug offenders and end disenfranchisement laws.



Notes:
(1) Power and Democracy 2004 (2) Losing The Vote: The Impact of Felony Disenfranchisement Laws in the United States 1998 (3) Power and Democracy 2004 (4) Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2002 (5) Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2002 (6) Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2002 (7) Punishment and Prejudice: Racial Disparities in the War on Drugs 2000 (8) Punishment and Prejudice: Racial Disparities in the War on Drugs<> 2000 (9) Study Finds Drug War Targets Blacks 2000 (10) Incarcerated America 2003 (11) Study Finds Drug War Targets Blacks 2000 (12) Incarceration rates should motive change 2004 (13) Children, Education and the War on Drugs 2002 (14) If Felons Could Have Voted, National Election Outcomes Would Have Been Different 2003