Another Op-Ed in Favor of Restoration

Posted by: Dave Newton on March 22, 2008 at 08:00pm

Restoring felons' right to vote sensible, fair

Stake in society an incentive to reform

Op-Ed in the Lexington Herald-Leader by Carl Wicklund, executive director of the American Probation & Parole Association, whose headquarters is in Lexington.

Kentucky recently came one step closer to ensuring that voting is a fair and democratic process. Gov. Steve Beshear announced this month that he was removing some barriers to voting for people with felony convictions.

As someone with 35 years of experience in the criminal justice field, I support Beshear's decision. Full civic participation by citizens living in our community protects public safety.

Beshear, with the support of Secretary of State Trey Grayson, eased some of the most cumbersome requirements of the vote-restoration process imposed by Beshear's predecessor.

Previously, in addition to submitting a written clemency application, people who had completed their felony sentences were required to pay a fee, write an essay and submit three personal recommendations to regain the right to vote.

In removing these barriers, Beshear said the policy change "is about treating people fairly and about welcoming back people trying to put their lives together again and become good citizens."

Despite this progress, Kentucky maintains a highly restrictive policy of lifetime disenfranchisement. Laws that disenfranchise people with felony convictions exist in 48 states (all but Maine and Vermont), but Kentucky maintains the distinction of being one of only two states (along with Virginia) that permanently disenfranchises all citizens with felony convictions for life unless they gain a reprieve directly from the governor.

Nearly 129,000 adults have completed the obligations of their criminal sentences but are still barred from voting in Kentucky. The overall disenfranchisement rate among African-Americans is the nation's highest, with nearly one in four (23.7 percent) adults barred from voting.

As the executive director of the national association that represents the probation and parole agents who supervise more than 4 million people across the country, I understand the importance of connecting people released from prison with positive institutions in the community, including employment, education, housing, and also voting. There is absolutely no credible evidence showing that continuing to disenfranchise people after they have returned to the community serves any legitimate law enforcement purpose...