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In an article from Northwest Public Broadcasting, Kelly Olson (Leading with Conviction™ 2022), says that many formerly incarcerated people do not know about their right to vote. Kelly is a member of the Free the Vote Washington coalition and the Policy Manager at Civil Survival, a nonprofit which helps people in Washington who’ve been impacted by the criminal legal system.
“Literally, if you’re standing outside a prison wall, you have the right to vote”
“The history of voter disenfranchisement is rooted in racism, said Olson, who’s also the policy manager at the nonprofit Civil Survival, which helps people in Washington who’ve been impacted by the criminal legal system.
“‘There never has been any public threat other than the threat to people who are in positions of power,’ Olson said.
“She said studies show people who are civically engaged have lower recidivism rates.
“’They feel like they’re part of their society, part of their community, and that their voice matters,’ she said.
“The Washington State Department of Corrections now gives people voting pamphlets as they leave prison. Olson, who was released in 2007, said it was a little scary to vote before the law. All the restrictions were confusing. Getting your voting rights back felt complicated.
“’It used to be that you had to pay all of your legal financial obligations before you could vote. And then it was you needed to be making payments on it,’ she said.”
In our 10th anniversary year, JustLeadershipUSA’s work of educating, elevating, and empowering justice-impacted leaders continues and is growing even stronger!
This is going to be a very special time to look back on the past decade of JLUSA’s important work, the 1,600+ leaders we have helped get to the next level in their work, and even more importantly, we will look ahead to the next 10 years and beyond!
We can’t do this without you. We need your support to help us continue to do this work now and into the future. By making a donation in honor of JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, you are saying to the amazing leaders in our network who represent the 70+ million Americans who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system, “I see you, and I support you!”
Please give a one-time $100 gift or set up a recurring $10 monthly donation to celebrate JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, and together we will build a fair and just U.S. Thank you!
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JustLeadershipUSA is a non-partisan organization. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed belong solely to the individual author or speaker, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the organization.
Since 2014, JustLeadershipUSA has maintained our commitment to ensuring systems-impacted voices are at the forefront of the movement for criminal legal reform, empowering directly impacted leaders in over 45 states with the tools, resources, and connections to transform their work.
Your donation will provide crucial support for our leadership training programs, empowering future generations of leaders and propelling the work of JLUSA and our alumni as we continue to advocate and push reform on issues that matter the most in our communities.
In just 10 years, JLUSA and our network of leaders have worked to dismantle decades of harm caused by the criminal legal system.