JLUSA leaders speak out on restoring voting rights for people incarcerated in Illinois

“For Chicago native Avalon Betts-Gaston [Leading with Conviction™ 2022], who was wrongfully convicted and served four years in federal prison, expanding voting rights for incarcerated people allows them to be active members of their home and surrounding communities while inside. Additionally, voting is a way for incarcerated people to have an active role in decisions that determine the lives of their children.

… give them an opportunity to vote, you start to reform that person …

“‘We have to look at voting rights outside of the limited view we tend to view them. It’s not just a matter of casting ballots. For people on the inside, it’s an extension of parenting because I get to vote on who’s on the school board. I get to vote for local electeds who get to determine whether or not I get a park or if the basketball court that my baby plays basketball on has a hoop,’ said Betts-Gatson, who serves as the executive director of the Illinois Alliance for Reentry and Justice. The organization is part of a coalition of organizations and community members supporting the RACE Act.

“Access to voting also aids in the rehabilitation of incarcerated people. It helps with reintegrating them after release, encouraging them to become more informed, according to Marlon Chamberlain [LwC 2019], who spent 12 years in federal prison.

“‘If this system was really about rehabilitation, then why wouldn’t we want people to be educated in terms of civic engagement but then also have an opportunity to participate?’ Chamberlain said. ‘One thing I’ve learned from my own experience of doing time is that time can be an asset or a liability, and it all depends on the resources and what you surround people around.’

“Today, Chamberlain is the executive director of the Illinois Coalition to End Permanent Punishments, an organization and campaign hub for people directly impacted by the criminal legal system.

“‘When you have people that have time to study and really grasp what it means to be civically involved and then give them an opportunity to vote, you start to reform that person so that once that person is released, then OK, ‘now I understand why I want to vote in the local elections. I want to make sure I know who my alderman is.’”

Read the full story at TheTriibe.com.