Informing Incarcerated Citizens Nationwide: Right2Vote Report Distribution
Did you know that there are people in jails, prison and detention facilities scattered around the nation who currently are eligible to vote? Many people impacted by mass incarceration have no idea of their voting status because misinformation and miseducation further expand felony disenfranchisement.In addition to citizens without voting restrictions incarcerated in Maine and Vermont, People in prison in states like California, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania and New York can vote while incarcerated, even while convicted of misdemeanors. Too many people are unaware of this which is why we publish an ongoing national newsletter to keep incarcerated citizens informed of the ways that they can engage in their local, state and federal elections. “The right to vote is the cornerstone of democracy but to ban people from voting simply due to past mistakes and bad decisions, a decision which vastly affects minorities, leads more towards totalitarianism than democracy” – Peter incarcerated at Red Onion State Prison in VirginiaIn 2018 incarcerated organizers made national headlines with 17 states participating in the National Prison Strike. Their non-violent demonstrations, held from August 21, 2018 - September 9, 2018, ended with a call for, "The voting rights of all confined citizens serving prison sentences, pretrial detainees, and so-called “ex-felons” must be counted. Representation is demanded. All voices count!" in demand #10In response to their call, the Right2Vote Report was developed to keep incarcerated organizers and eligible inmate voters informed about the new legislation that would impact their lives. The Right2Vote Report is currently produced on a bi-monthly basis and distributed to people incarcerated in hundreds of facilities across 30 states. What Your Contribution Will SupportYour dollars will help us toIncreate the number of facilities in new states receiving the Right2Vote Report NewsletterIncrease the number of free newsletter subscriptions being sent to incarcerated supportersIncrease the amount of media (video, podcast, webinar, print) produced and distributed for local and regional awareness of inmate voting rights and voting education opportunitiesHow else can you help?Stand in solidarity with incarcerated citizens by inquiring with your local corrections facility on their process for supporting eligible inmate voters and other incarcerated citizens who are interested in being civically engaged. Request action on prisoners demand for their Right2Vote by contacting your local, state, and federal political representatives, Ask them where they stand on protecting and restoring incarcerated citizens' voting rights. Share our campaign page!Donate to our campaign here! With your support, we can ensure prisoners exercise their Right2Vote!Why We Need True Universal SuffrageOn April 15, 2018 seven men lost their lives and over two dozen were seriously injured at Lee County Prison as a result of South Carolina Department staff negligence for over seven hours. The tragic event was the deadliest prison massacre in decades and yet none of the prisoners were interviewed by media outlets in the days, or weeks following the tragedy. An incarcerated group of activists, Jailhouse Lawyers Speak, recognized that this incident could happen in any of the nation's overcrowded. The circumstances that led to the death of their peers including: overcrowding, lack of rehabilitative programming and understaffing; are identical to that of all of the prisons in the United States. In response to the conditions that resulted in the Lee County Massacre activists organized a National Prison Strike for which 17 states participated in peaceful demonstrations from August 21, 2018 - September 9, 2018 ending with a call for voting rights. We can only expect to solve the problem of mass incarceration if we allow those impacted to be civically engaged.“Giving every citizen voting rights expedites the rebuilding process of our communities. Incarceration took many things away from me but it did not take away my citizenship. Democracy needs everyone and everyone includes people in prison and on parole. I believe we all can contribute positively to our political system if given the chance” – Juan incarcerated at Chuckawalla Valley State Prison in California