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By Cathy Hazouri, Colorado American Civil Liberties Union

The legislature is considering Senate Bill 83, an election reform bill that includes an amendment to extend voting rights for parolees. Parolee voting isn't about making things easier or better for criminals. It is about preventing crime.

The natural reaction of most law-abiding citizens is to automatically reject the idea of parolee voting. We want those people to pay dearly for the crimes they have committed, and denying voting rights to parolees sounds just fine to many of us. But does our lust for retribution outweigh our interest in cultivating civic and social responsibility - known factors for preventing crime - among prisoners returning to society?

At some point, when prisoners have served their time, they are going to return to society and live among us in the community. So we must decide how best to reintegrate people with criminal convictions so that they become productive citizens who actively reject a life of crime. Our public safety depends on it.

Taking steps to rehabilitate prisoners before and after they leave prison makes good sense and is good public policy.

There are many conditions that contribute to the rehabilitation of parolees, like offering vocational training and access to higher education. Extending voting rights is also an important element. Voting aids in the successful reintegration into society for those with criminal convictions by creating connections to the community, developing a commitment to civil society and building a sense of civic duty.

Perhaps most important, there is a proven link between parolee voting and public safety. Research published by the Columbia Human Rights Law Review indicates that released prisoners who voted were half as likely to be re-arrested as those who did not vote.

Parole once was only granted to offenders as a way to serve part of their sentence while supervised, but not in prison. While some offenders have earned their early release by demonstrating responsible conduct, or "good behavior," now there is parole for every offender upon release regardless of the amount of time spent in prison. This is mandatory parole.

In other words, individuals who have paid their debt to society by serving every minute of their sentence are subject to parole time. Continued denial of voting rights is part of that "extra" punishment of mandatory parole due to the passage of Colorado's mandatory parole law in the 1990s.

We need to stop obsessing about retribution and start focusing on results. If we are committed to reducing crime, it is in our own best interest to cultivate voting behavior and other civic involvement among parolees.

Now is a perfect opportunity to make Colorado safer by passing SB 83.

Cathy Hazouri is executive director of the Colorado American Civil Liberties Union.

READER COMMENTS

reading most of your idiotic comments, makes me realize again, what a truly screwed up sense of right and wrong we have as american citizens (providing all of you are actually citizens) I am a parolee, i was given prison time for being behind in child support. I served 12 yrs defending my country,(most of you probably dont know what a uniform looks like) Who has more right to vote? when i wave the american flag, i know i earned the right to do so. We have all made mistakes, not all of us have gotten caught!

Giving convicted felons the right to vote is like giving a sex offender a package of gummy bears. Huh? you say? That doesn't make sense or make us safer? My point exactly.

I, for one, vote. I don't do vote centers, I vote absentee.
As for the idiocy of putting so many items into a bill, THAT is a good deal of why so many good ideas get totally screwed up in our legislature. Hows about one issue at a time? So we don't constantly wind up with bad laws passed because there were "good" portions within them? Hows about we stop letting (forcing?) the judicial system to determine what is OK and what is not?
You lose your right to vote when you commit a felony, or several, that get you convicted as a felon. Not because you made a "mistake" and killed that poor innocent. Gosh, sorry about that, it' was a 'mistake'. Hogwash! Some crimes deserve at least the loss of the right to help vote in more people who limit punishment and make the criminal some kind of victim.
As for that stupid American Idol comparison. You do realize that those total numbers of votes are very often multiple votes by the same person, don't you?

Many of the people in prison probably have a better handle on the candidates than most of us out here. The inmates keep a close eye on what is happening in government as these are the people and issues that have a bearing on their incarceration, the treatment programs, parole, etc.

And speaking of voting, there are so many Americans that are not in prison that have the right to vote and do not excersise that right.

There are more Amreicans that vote for the American Idol than vote for the people in government. That is truly the a sad statement for us Americans.

People make mistakes and end up in prison. Not all the people that go to prison are there for a long time. They come back out and blend back into society. We have all these issues about they just end back up in prison. We as a society and voters can help change that.

Allowing parolees the right to vote is just ONE provision of SB 83...not that the rest of you would even notice. It does many, many important things that will clean-up our elections processes...which no doubt, all of you were complaining about after November's debacle.

This bill will also establish guidelines for vote centers (again, something I'm sure you all complained about), allow nonprofit groups to conduct voter registration drives with integrity but without impossible restrictions, improve training for election judges and improve requirements for voter education prior to an election.

So, you may not agree with the provision that would allow parolees the right to vote (although not one of you has made a good argument as to why not), but that doesn't mean the bill should "die a slow death." One of the fundamental principles of democracy is the right to vote. Without this bill, we will continue to see more problems develop with our elections, and this time, you will be to blame.

Cathy - links between items studied are not the same as cause and effect...."Perhaps most important, there is a proven link between parolee voting and public safety. "

I am willing to listen if you can provide a better argument.

Gary said:

"They were able to vote before they committed thier crimes. It did not stop them from committing crimes then, being able to vote after getting out of prison, will not stop any of them from committing future crimes either. "

Brilliant, and so well stated!

I don't see that denying a convicted felon of their "right" to vote as a " lust for retribution". I see it in the same light as having to pay a incredible percent markup for overstaying a parking meter.

As Baretta used to say, "Do the crime, do the time." Ya don't want to risk losing something as vital as the voting franchise? Don't risk it by committing the criminal act.

Once again, it ain't rocket science!

But then the ACLU isn't exactly known for scientific acumen, are they?

Cathy, Cathy, Cathy, I may have been born at night, but it wasn't last night.

I fail to see how letting FELONS vote will make the world safer. As was stated in another letter, they could vote before they became criminals. The questions is, did they vote?

Did Cathy and her cronies go to the prisions and jails before the last two elections and sign up voters?

What do we expect from the ACLU, intelligence?

HA HA HA Haaaaa, what a farce. Ms. Hazouri, is your name really PT Barnum?? You could not be so stupid as to believe anyone with a minute amount of common sense would subscribe to such a ridiculously ignorant theory for crime prevention. May Senate Bill 83 die a slow painful death.

Voting does not do a thing to prevent crime. Early release since prisons overcrowded adds to crime, they get a slap on the wrist and out again. Build more prisons and keep them in there longer.

They were able to vote before they committed thier crimes. It did not stop them from committing crimes then, being able to vote after getting out of prison, will not stop any of them from committing future crimes either.

What a bunch of hogwash from the ACLU!

If the ACLU needs something to do...how about worrying about citizens that obey the laws and help them instead of worrying about undeserving criminals.

Typical liberal BS. Parolees frequently have NOT paid their debt in realistic terms. The best crime prevention is lead poisoning for violent criminals and their associated liberal colaborators!

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