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Category: Readers' Opinions

■ 04 July 2009 | 5:00 AM

Restore felon rights

For the first time in many years, the General Assembly seriously considered legislation to reform Virginia's shameful law that permanently disfranchises former felons. Most people, it seems, haven't even heard of this archaic constitutional provision that prevents about 300,000 Virginia residents from voting.Felon disfranchisement dates back to the Jim Crow era, when it, poll taxes and literacy tests were used to keep minority voters out of polling places. Once widespread throughout the U.S., disfranchisement laws slowly died out over the 20th century.

Now, only Virginia and Kentucky still permanently disfranchise all people convicted of a felony, requiring an individual act of the governor to restore voting rights.

Most of the disfranchised people in Virginia are productive, taxpaying members of our society. Not only do they deserve the right to vote now that they have repaid their debt to society, but studies indicate that formerly incarcerated people who vote are about half as likely to commit another crime as those who don't.

Unfortunately, none of the several voter restoration reform bills introduced in this year's General Assembly passed.

We must all now urge Gov. Tim Kaine to issue an executive order to automatically restore voting rights for all felons who have completed the terms of their sentence. With not much more than a single stroke of his pen, he can create some real distance between Virginia and its racist past, while returning to hundreds of thousands of Virginians the right to participate in our democracy, which they earned when they repaid their debt to society.

Sabrina Bowman

Virginia Beach

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Thanks! Thought provoking and relevant.

Submitted by tracyliz on Sat, 07/11/2009 at 11:50 am.

Hi Sabrina,

This is a thoughtful and provocative editorial on a rarely discussed issue, and I thank you and applaud you for bringing it up. I read your letter in the newspaper last week, and have been thinking it since. I have also discussed it with others at work who I figured would disagree with you to hear their opposing thoughts, read the response blogs to your letter online, and considered rights vs. rights, safety, justice, and a variety of conflicting ethical points your post inspires.

In short: I agree with you. And I think your last phrase: “..while returning to hundreds of thousands of Virginians the right to participate in our democracy, which they earned when they repaid their debt to society.” is on-target, valid and just.

I read with interest the opposing (and valid) point some bloggers made wrt the conflict of restoring gun rights as well if voting rights are restored. My response to them is that it seems logical that if a person was convicted of a violent crime, or one involving a weapon, they should not have gun rights restored. I think most would agree this is a common-sense security precaution to protect society that most would agree with. B

What she really meant to say...

Submitted by theguyfromchesapeake on Mon, 07/06/2009 at 6:23 pm.

"...that prevents about 300,000 Virginia residents from voting."

Translation: that's 300,000 likely Democratic Party voters!

Crime is Partisan

Submitted by tracyliz on Sat, 07/11/2009 at 10:53 am.

Only democrats are former felons? That is a remarkable statistic!

Don't see a problem

Submitted by 2cents on Mon, 07/06/2009 at 9:21 am.

I don't see a problem with the current system. Restoration of rights should be made on an individual basis. Stay out of trouble, work and lead a productive life and then apply to have participation restored. To allow wholesale voting rights to folks that have no respect or regard for society does not meet the common sense test.

How things work . . .

Submitted by charlesm on Sun, 07/05/2009 at 11:43 am.

Conviction of a felony, by law, removes some civil rights. When you complete your sentence these rights are not automatically restored. That is because you have, by committing a felony, broken the requirement to live an honorable, law abiding life. The incarceration is to remove you from free society to give you time to reflect on your life and purpose and give you an opportunity to repent and determine to live a law abiding life. When you complete your incarceration you then, for a time, you have to demonstrate that you are able and willing to live a respectable and crime free life. When you have done this, then it is the time to consider restoring your civil rights.

Law Abiding Life

Submitted by tracyliz on Sat, 07/11/2009 at 12:23 pm.

Hi Charles,
Some points I agree with, some I would argue. The primary question I have is wrt this: "When you complete your sentence these rights are not automatically restored." My question is, if they've COMPLETED their sentence...then why not?

I understand your point that if they broke the law they need to pay for it. But incarceration is supposed to be the "paying for it" part.

What if the ideas met in the middle? What if all former felons had to complete a year of "voting probation" before their voting rights were automatically restored? But it happens automatically if they stay law-abiding during post-incarceration probation, not a Governor plea, not an exception, but the rule.

I gotta agree with the original poster that to continue to disenfranchise citizens who are former felons probably doesn't do our society much good in the long run, and I think that when someone has paid for their crime it is reasonable to let them move on with their lives.

Thoughts?
Tracy

Charles

Submitted by francisco on Mon, 07/06/2009 at 4:57 am.

Read my post.

How things work . . .

Submitted by charlesm on Sun, 07/05/2009 at 11:43 am.

conservatives,

Submitted by francisco on Sun, 07/05/2009 at 4:59 am.

Would you people still be against voting rights for felons if it were a felony to read the Bible or listen to Rush Limbaugh? There's no other way to change unjust laws than to allow those who break them to vote. People should be able to vote even while in prison. I don't even care if mentally deranged people are allowed to vote--there aren't enough of them out there to affect any real change.