In a move that surprised no one, the respected Brennan Center for Justice hammered Florida for having what it deemed a virtual “lifetime” ban on felons’ voting rights. The process to have rights restored is as arduous as it is lengthy.
As a result, more than 1.6 million Floridians are denied voting rights because of state law. That’s about 10 percent of all residents of voting age.
The Brennan Center was especially critical of Gov. Rick Scott, who rolled back the vote-restoration process that had been in force under former Gov. Charlie Crist. For example, in 2009 approximately 25,000 Floridians had applications approved for rights restoration under Crist. Under Scott, the average has been under 500 annually. One year it was 52.
“The right to vote should not be used as a tool for lifetime punishment,” said Erika Wood, the author of the Brennan Center report and the director of the Voting Rights and Civic Participation Project of the Impact Center for Public Interest Law.
There’s also another bottom line besides Florida ridding itself of its criminal disenfranchisement law. It’s also in society’s enlightened self interest to ensure fairness for non-violent felons. The rate of recidivism drops dramatically when released felons have their rights restored and are formally acknowledged as societal members in good standing.
The restoration of voting rights to non-violent felons who have served their time is doing what is right. For the released, now ex-felons and for the non-felon rest of us as well.