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There are approximately five million people in the United States that cannot vote because their civil participation has been deemed a "danger to society". The denial of civil rights to ex-offenders is frequently recognized as a remnant of the Jim Crow laws designed to prevent a certain population (mainly minorities) from civil participation. There is no substantial evidence that the prevention of ex-offenders from voting, obtaining certain licenses, or sitting on jury duty acts as a deterrent to crime. These laws only act to further disenfranchise a population already facing tremendous obstacles to their reintegration into society.

Different states have varying policies on ex-offender civil rights. Some states have automatic restoration once incarceration is completed, others ban certain populations for life. There has been much positive movement in the State of Florida over the past two years. Governor Crist passed legislation that automatically reinstates civil rights for a large portion of ex-offenders (visit http://www.restorerights.org/restore_rights/ for a listing of the three levels and the availability of rights). We must applaud this move while remaining vigilant that the reinstatement process functions smoothly. FL-CURE has set the goal of automatic restoration of all civil rights for ex-offenders immediately upon completion of sentencing, regardless if parole or restitution is pending. History has shown that immediate and unconditional restoration of civil rights by never taking prisoners off of the registration list is the most certain way to ensure a flawless return to civil participation for ex-offenders.

We have much progress to make to reintegrate our brothers and sisters leaving prison back into full participation in our society. The first steps involve educating ourselves about the process to dispell the ignorance around rights restoration. Also, we must speak at every opportunity against the false connection between rights restoration and any public safety threat, insisting that there is no evidence that the democratic participation of ex-felons poses any danger to society. Finally, we must keep the pressure on our state legislators to enact policies that ensure civil rights restoration to those leaving prison immediately and unconditionally after completion of their sentence. This is a possible campaign, so let us keep working towards a just resolution of these issues!

If you are interested in hosting a Rights Restoration Workshop, please contact one of the CURE directors.