Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Feb. 25, 1999, edition 1 / Page 8
Part of Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Voting rights for felons wins support By MICHAEL A. FLETCHER THE WASHINGTON POST TAMPA - Alarmed by tbe staggering number of people who are barred from voting because of past criminal convictions, legisla tors in an increasing number of states are advocating proposals to allow felons to return to the voting booth. The issue. long touted by pris oner rights advocates, is finding support among mainstream civil rights organizations and political leaders who argue that the crazy quilt of state laws that bar felons from voting not only constitutes unfair punishment but also has the potential to shut entire communi ties out of. the political process because such a large proportion of their citizens cannot vote. That is especially true for African American men, 13 percent of whom are ineligible to vote because of criminal convictions, according to a recent study con ducted jointly by the Sentencing Project and Human Rights Watch, both welf-known research organi zations. In 10 states, more than one in five black men are barred from voting because of their criminal records. C Winning back voting rights for those with felony convictions, from, murder to passing a bad check, will not be a simple task. Indeed, it is already evident that the effort faces stiff opposition from those who reject the notion that crimi nals are entitled to the same voting rights as everyone else. But it is also clear that, in several states, the momentum to change the system has never been stronger. In Florida, a bill has been introduced in the state legislature that would allow felons to regain their voting rights automatically one year after they complete their sentences, including probation. Currently, felons in Florida are barred for life from voting unless their rights are restored by a gover nor's pardon. That state is a prime target for civil rights groups because one third of the nation's disenfran chised felons reside there and an estimated 31 percent of. the state's black men are barred from voting. "Tf}e numbers just sort of leap out at you," said Florida state Sen. James Hargrett (D), a co-sponsor of the legislation. "They are really shocking." Supporters say the proposal is beginning to gain support, includ ing the qualified backing of Republican Gov. Jeb Bush. Jhe new governor, who benefited from high-profile black support during his election campaign last year, has voiced support for the measure as long as it leaves the state with the discretion to withhold rights from felons whose Crimes were deemed particularly egregious. Although restoring voting priv-. ileges has more support among Democrats than Republicans, the sheer scope of the problem is . beginning to draw interest to an issue long championed mainly by liberals Many moderates in both parties are also reluctant to reject the idea for fear of appearing racist, given the felony voting laws' disproportionate effect on minori ties. To appeal to these legislators, advocates argue that disenfran chisement laws conflict with basic notions of justice and discourage what society ought to be promot ing: that criminals who have com pleted their sentences be allowed to return to society as productive citi zens. Still, supporters acknowledge that the issue faces an uphill fight, if only because it can easily be mis construed as soft on crime at a time when the general public senti ment is moving in the opposite direction. "You probably are going to see a cautious approach to this, even among most of the Democrats," said John F. Cosgrove, the second ranking Democrat in the Florida House of Representatives, who generally supports the measure. "The Republicans will be less inclined to do anything." Cosgrove said Florida's current system, which allows felons to apply to have their voting rights restored, is cumbersome and in need of change. "This could be a real test as to whether compassionate conser vatism works in the marketplace," he said. The legislation in Florida, where several public interest lawyers are exploring civil rights lawsuits to challenge the constitu tionality of criminal disenfran chisement laws, mirrors efforts elsewhere. Texas, where an estimat ed 4.5 percent of the adult popula tion and 21 percent of the black male population are disenfran chised, has eliminated the two-year waiting period previously required before a felon could apply for restoration of voting rights. In Alabama, where 7.5 percent of adults and nearly 31.5 percent of African American men are banned from voting, legislation to make it easier to restore voting rights for felons failed on a tie vote in the lower chamber of the state legislature last year. Sponsors say they are optimistic that a similar measure will succeed this year. Rates of disenfranchisement vary widely from state to state. In 46 states and the District of Columbia, felons are prohibited from voting while in prison. In addition, 32 states prohibit offend ers from voting while on parole and 29 bar voting while on proba tion. Felons are barred for life from vbting in 14 states, a prohibi tion that can be waived only through a gubernatorial pardon or some other form of clemency. Only four states - Maine, Massachu setts, New Hampshire and Ver mont - allow prison inmates to vote. Fifteen percent of Maryland's black men are barred from voting. Virginia permanently denies felons the right to vote, a prohibition that disenfranchises one in four of the state's black men. The practice of stripping crim inals of their civil rights is rooted in ancient Greek and Roman tradi tions and has always been a part of U.S. law. Some scholars have pointed out that in several states those laws were honed with racist intent. , "Many southern states tailored their criminal disenfranchisement laws, along with other voting qual ifications. to increase the effect of these laws on black citizens," Andrew L. Shapiro wrote in a 1993 Yale Law Review article. Shapiro said that toward the end of the last century, disenfranchisement laws were often crafted to include crimes that blacks supposedly committed more frequently than whites. ' In recent times, the increasing racial disparity among the disen franchised has been a consequence not of racist laws but of the dra matic rise in the number of African Americans being incarcer ated. Since the widespread imposi tion of mandatory minimum sen tences, "three-strikes" laws and other, anti-crime measures over the past decade,- the proportion of black men who are incarcerated has increased 10 times faster than for whites. The biggest contributor to the explosion in the prison pop ulation has been people convicted of drug charges. Those arrested on drug charges were almost five times as likely to be sent to prison in 1992 than in 1980, and drug arrests almost doubled during that time period, according tp the Jus tice Department. While national surveys have found that drug use and distribu tion cut across racial lines, blacks are arrested for drug crimes at six times the rate of whites. From 1990 to 1996, 82 percent of the increase in the number of black inmates in federal prisons was due to drug offenses, the Justice Department said. "The statistics on this issue are really frightening...With the huge number of people disenfranchised, you're really not open to all of the citizenry in making decisions," said Alabama state Rep. Yvonne Kennedy (D), who has filed a bill to make it easier for a felon to regain voting rights in Alabama. "That is very alarming. I think that is getting the attention of many legislators." Kennedy called the current process for restoring voting rights in Alabama needlessly restrictive. A felon in Alabama can have vot ing rights restored only after com pleting all the terms of the sen tence and then filing a three-page application with the state's Board of Pardons and Paroles, which also requires a blood sample for a ON A test. Calling the form -intimidating, Jerome A. Gray, ah official with , the Alabama Democratic Confer ence, an activist group working to make it easier for felons to regain the right to vote, said, "The ques tion is: At what point does the state's hold on inmates cease?" Others, however, say it is fair to treat felons differently from the rest of society. "It is not asking too much for these folks to petition to have their rights restored," said Alabama state Rep. Michael D. Rogers (R), who last year opposed efforts to ease the process for restoring felon rights. The sharp increase in the num ber of disenfranchised people has prompted major civil rights groups, including the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coali tion and the NAACP, to make restoring voting rights for felons a priority. The effort also is support ed by a panoply of national reli gious organizations, including the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church USA and the National Council of Churches. But they face difficult hurdles, npt only among legislators who see such measures as soff on crime but among Republicans who see little incentive to empower a potential group of voters who, if they follow established patterns, are likely to vote Democratic. Recently, Virginia legislators killed an effort to liberalize that state's process for restoring voter rights Similar bills have met the same fate in past years Likewise, several congressional efforts aimed at standardizing the process states use to restore voting rights for felons in federal elections have failed in recent years But supporters believe those measures will be taken more seri ously once legislators fully realize the huge number of people being pushed off the voter rolls because of their criminal past. "The process of voting is one of the most sacred processes in our democracy," said Hilary Shelton, director of the NAACP's Washing ton Bureau. "Our hope is that for mer inmates will participate fully in our democracy, take ownership of their communities and become law-abiding citizens. The right to vote is fundamental to that." Central offers new degree Students can earn US in hospitality and tourism THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DURHAM - North Carolina Central University has become the first historically black col lege in tht state to offer a four year bachelor of scieqce degree in hospitality and tourism. The new program will pro vide career opportunities in an industry that often attracts minorities into low-paying entry level positions, school and industry officials said. "It will open the door to pro motions that weren't available, breaking the stereotype," said program director Beverly Bryant. :The mission is to pre pare students to assume leader ship and entrepreneurial roles in the ipdustry." The 35 students enrolled in the program are targeted for ? I 1 !? graduation in 2002. They will get on-the-job training, an internship and classes in accounting, food preparation, purchasing and geography. Graduates will be able to begin their careers as front desk or food service managers instead of as maids ahd janitors, offi cials said The program eventually will include a campus ticket agency through Midway Airlines and a student-run cafeteria. Bryant said the program's aim is to provide career oppor tunities in a growing job market. The hospitality industry is the second fastest-growing industry in the state, behind biotechnology, according to T. Jerry Williams, president of the N.C. Restaurant Association. There are 189 hotels and more than 1,000 restaurants in Waken Durham and Orange counties alone. According to Census Bureau figures, 80 percent of lodging and restaurant managers in North Carolina are while, 15 percent black, nearly 3 percent Asian and less than 2 percent Hispanic.. As hospitality clients become more diverse, it is important to have ethnically diverse people checking customers into hotels and deciding which meals will .be served in dining rooms, uni versity officials said. "We don't care if they are male, female, black, or white. Things are not as simple as they used to be," Williams said, one of 20 executives on the pro gram's advisory board. The NCCU program, based on ones at Cornell University and Michigan State University, has an operating budget of only ^100,000, Bryant said. Advisory %oard members plan to lobby for more funds from the Gener al Assembly. Busy day? Relax tonight and read The Chronicle Published every Thursday. Subscribe Today: 722-8624 . * __ The Chronicle's e-mail address is: wschron@netunlimited.net ^ There is a proposed settlement to a class action lawsuit that involves: AFRICAN AMERICAN AND HISPANIC PERSONS WHO FROM APRIL 24,1994 TO NOVEMBER 1,1998 WERE: EMPLOYEES - OR - APPLICANTS THE CASE Plaintiffs allege that IKON/NightRider discriminated against African Ameri can and Hispanic applicants and employees because of their race and national origin in certain employment practices. IKON/NightRider denies these allegations and maintains it has not discriminated against any Settle ment Class Members. THE SETTLEMENT The Court has preliminarily approved the Settlement which requires IKON/ NightRider to pay the sum of $4 .15 million to settle all claims and to commit to the continued implementation of specific programs that promote equal employment opportunities. YOUR RIGHTS Complete information about your rights as a Class Member and the Settle ment Approval Process is available in the Notice of Settlement including: ? how to exclude yourself ("opt-out") from the Settlement Class, ? hoW to object or comment on the Settlement, and ? how to make a claim, including important deadlines. For further information and the Notice of Settlement: Call: 1-800-265-6531 Or Write. Clerk, United States District Court, District of Texas, Dallas Division, c/o Sprenger & Lang, P.L.L.C., P.O. Box 19500, Washington, DC 20036. PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT. DWTOFeto^Zia?.JuaySOTXU^.Ui^SW?awiaC<Mtfat?Wort?n[>>tl(i(TiKM,DWM?-"" Sate:5A5% APyS^/o" Term: 13 mos. ; " / ? You may add to Ibe amount ofyom certifktOe of deport during the term of tbt ar1tjic*t &0 minimmm ptr mddtkjnd dtpoMi ?finmdAnility HeU. NmHf formb ?<*d*wd SJOOmOt. dtfxwU Mmrimmm balance of $99,999 Raits mbject to cbmge wUbomt notkt ^.Southern (.ommunitv BANK AND TRUST Small Enough To Care WirckHvSafcm - 768-8500 (AM toorion) ? 4701 Country Chb Rd *53*? SkifardUL ?JijdMm Cmft % f=> SUI nun ? 679-4121 M.i.t.i WBI^^w**Jrtjni*xooiMoodilooel?ito|l*M5?70M^^FDI^^f ? [ With FHA's new I higher loani^,! you can buy your I dream home * ' / ' ' * V Since 1934 we've helped over 26 million Americans get into new homes. And starting this year, HUD can help you get a home loan for Ml IreHl \ UP to $208,800. Be sure to check with your lenderto find out what ?\ ^h? FHA-insured loan limits are in your area. We can also help you with any questions you might have. Just call 1 -800-HUDSFHA and ask for our free 100 Questions and Answers brochure. It'll tell you how to get an FHA loan for as little as 3% down. How to choose the right 'I lender. How to prepare yourself for the homebuying process. And much more. In fact, if you're looking for a home, it's all |\1 "|/| the information you need. -1 HUD and FHA sue on your ode. I tk I
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 25, 1999, edition 1
8
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75