Representatives from In Every Generation and the St. Louis Area Voting Initiative volunteered at the Justice Center this week for a program called "Understanding the Voting Process." They spoke to jail residents about voting eligibility rules and how to register to vote. In local jails, the vast majority of people are eligible to vote because they are not currently serving a sentence for a felony conviction. Of the more than 800 residents in our County jail, about 84% are being held pre-trial.
"We want to hold these classes to provide accurate information regarding voter eligibility for people with criminal histories or pending charges, and help them understand they have a voice as well as doing a civic duty," said Scott Anders, director of Justice Services.
Civic participation has been linked to a reduction in re-offending. It helps build strong connections to the community with the goal of successful reentry following incarceration.
Jails across the country are working to support ballot access for people inside jails. You can read more about it here: https://www.sentencingproject.org/public.../voting-in-jails/
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up