{"id":212,"date":"2021-05-03T09:00:39","date_gmt":"2021-05-03T09:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/massachusetts\/press-releases\/60-organizations-support-legislation-to-protect-voting-rights-of-eligible-incarcerated-voters\/"},"modified":"2021-05-03T09:00:39","modified_gmt":"2021-05-03T09:00:39","slug":"60-organizations-support-legislation-to-protect-voting-rights-of-eligible-incarcerated-voters","status":"publish","type":"press","link":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/massachusetts\/press\/60-organizations-support-legislation-to-protect-voting-rights-of-eligible-incarcerated-voters\/","title":{"rendered":"60+ Organizations Support Legislation to Protect Voting Rights of Eligible\u00a0 Incarcerated Voters"},"template":"","class_list":["post-212","press","type-press","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","press_type-press-release"],"acf":{"details":{"summary":"An Act to Protect the Voting Rights of Eligible Incarcerated People filed by Rep. Chynah Tyler, Rep. Liz Miranda, and Sen. Adam Hinds is lauded as the comprehensive solution to jail-based disenfranchisement.","featured_image":6143,"press_type":146,"authors":["{\"site_id\":\"1\",\"post_type\":\"person\",\"post_id\":7814}"],"related_issues":[94,109,462],"related_work":false,"location":24},"sidebar":{"helper_enable_sidebar":false,"helper_media_contact":{"heading":"Media Contact","manually_enter_person":false,"person":null,"name":"","role":"","phone":"","email":""},"helper_links_downloads":{"heading":"Links & Downloads","links":null}},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<h4 style=\"text-align: center\"><em><strong>An Act to Protect the Voting Rights of Eligible Incarcerated People filed by Representative Chynah Tyler, Representative Liz Miranda, and Senator Adam Hinds is lauded as the comprehensive solution to jail-based disenfranchisement.<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\nBOSTON - The Democracy Behind Bars Coalition announced today that 60+ organizations statewide have backed legislation filed by Senator Adam Hinds (<a href=\"https:\/\/malegislature.gov\/Bills\/192\/S474\/Cosponsor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-cke-saved-href=\"https:\/\/malegislature.gov\/Bills\/192\/S474\/Cosponsor\">S. 474<\/a>) and Representatives Chynah Tyler and Liz Miranda (<a href=\"https:\/\/malegislature.gov\/Bills\/192\/HD3253\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-cke-saved-href=\"https:\/\/malegislature.gov\/Bills\/192\/HD3253\">H. 836<\/a>) to end the <em>de-facto<\/em> disenfranchisement of eligible incarcerated voters. A bill summary is viewable here: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/massachusetts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/02\/Summary_-An-Act-to-Protect-the-Voting-Rights-of-Eligible-Incarcerated-Voters.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-cke-saved-href=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/massachusetts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/02\/Summary_-An-Act-to-Protect-the-Voting-Rights-of-Eligible-Incarcerated-Voters.pdf\">bit.ly\/jbvsummary<\/a>The bill, An Act to Protect the Voting Rights of Eligible Incarcerated People, takes a comprehensive approach to jail-based disenfranchisement. Advocates in the coalition say it was drafted by those in the coalition on both sides of the wall, particularly with the leadership of members of the African American Coalition Committee in MCI Norfolk, and is long overdue.\r\n\r\nJail-based disenfranchisement, or <em>de-facto<\/em> disenfranchisement, is not new, advocates say. And it systematically strips hyper-incarcerated and hyper-policed communities - mostly Black communities and communities of color -- of their political voice.\r\n\r\n\"For all of Massachusetts history, those serving misdemeanor convictions and imprisoned pre-trial have maintained the right to vote,\u201d said\u00a0<strong>Representative Chynah Tyler<\/strong>. \u00a0\u201cBut to this day, we have yet to create a system to allow those disproportionately Black citizens and people of color to actually exercise that right. This bill would fix that adding to one of many adjustments needed to ensure all facilities are protecting the constitutional rights of individuals who happen to be incarcerated.\"\r\n\r\nThe bill, also known as the Jail-Based Voting Bill, would require sheriffs to provide all eligible voters absentee ballot applications, information on candidates, and other materials necessary to vote. It includes requirements on elections officials to ensure that they are aware of voter eligibility, and coordinating with sheriffs. Further, it would require that jails in counties with populations of 800,000 or more provide a municipal polling location in the county jail.\r\n\r\n\u201cThere are myriad administrative reforms needed to ensure incarcerated eligible people can vote,\u201d said <strong>Representative Liz Miranda<\/strong>, \u201cwhich are included in the jail-based voting bill and are critical. We wrote this bill with an understanding that jail-based disenfranchisement is complicated, that running elections on the municipal level makes redressing it even harder, but with the belief that there is never any excuse for disenfranchising eligible voters -- especially when we\u2019re talking about people who government has failed.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cVoting is the cornerstone of democracy and all eligible voters should have equal access to the ballot,\u201d said\u00a0<strong>Senator Adam Hinds<\/strong>. \u201cThe Jail-Based Voting bill will move Massachusetts a little closer to ensuring that principle also includes eligible voters who happen to be behind the wall. This is an issue of representation, of racial justice, and a fundamental democracy issue.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cAccess to voting will encourage lawmakers and elected officials to see us as human beings worthy of being seen,\u201d said\u00a0<strong>Derrick Washington, Founder of the Emancipation Initiative<\/strong>. \u201cAccess to voting will motivate public officials to regularly come into the prisons and solicit our votes. The chain reaction will bring about better conditions of confinement, adequate programming, dignity, as well eradicate the ever present racism from an entirely white administration controlling the prison policies of a majority black and brown prison population. Infused dignity created from incarcerated enfranchisement in Massachusetts prisons will spill over into the communities that many of us will be returning to.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cTwo easy and practical things Sheriffs can do is ensure that orientation manuals have updated information with respect to the voting rights of incarcerated people as well as post an easy to read step by step voting guide for eligible voters on all units,\u201d said\u00a0<strong>Al-Ameen Patterson, Vice Chair of the African American Coalition Committee<\/strong> (AACC).\r\n\r\n\u201cAs People We Matter, We Are Not Any Less Human Then When We Were Sentenced Or Charged With A Crime (Especially Those That Can Be Corrected), And If We Have To Work Hard At Making A Change In Our Community &amp; Society In Order To Live Amongst The People Then We Should Have The Right To Vote And Feel Like We Matter Too,\u201d said\u00a0<strong>Kimya Foust, National Council for Incarcerated &amp; Formerly Incarcerated Women &amp; Girls organizer<\/strong>.\r\n\r\n\u201cEligible incarcerated voters are just that: eligible voters,\u201d said <strong>Cheryl Clyburn Crawford, the Executive Director of MassVOTE<\/strong>. \u201cThis legislation takes simple, common-sense steps to ensure that eligible incarcerated voters \u2013 who are predominantly Black and Latino \u2013 may cast their ballot without intimidation or interference from prison officials. For far too long eligible incarcerated voters have faced de facto disenfranchisement that no other eligible voter in Massachusetts faces. It\u2019s time to change that. We\u2019re supporting this legislation to make that change possible.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cFrom my earliest days as the Sheriff of Suffolk County, I have worked to ensure that those who are eligible to vote can register and cast their ballots from our facilities,\u201d said <strong>Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins<\/strong>. \u201cI have long been both a vocal advocate and ardent supporter of the right to vote for all of our citizens, whether they reside in our communities and neighborhoods, or temporarily in our care and custody. I\u2019d also like to acknowledge Families For Justice As Healing and the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls for their powerful efforts in this cause.\u201d\r\n\r\n<strong>Supporters of the legislation include:<\/strong>\r\nACLU of MA\r\nAct on Massachusetts\r\nADL New England\r\nAfrican American Coalition Committee (AACC)\r\nArise for Social Justice\r\nBlack and Pink Massachusetts\r\nBlack Boston COVID-19 Coalition (BBCC)\r\nBlack Director's Network (BDN)\r\nBlack Economic Justice Institute (BEJI)\r\nBrazilian Women's Group\r\nBristol County for Correctional Justice\r\nCampaign Legal Center\r\nCape Verdean Social Workers Association\r\nCoalition for A Better Acre\r\nCoalition for Effective Public Safety (CEPS)\r\nCommon Cause Massachusetts\r\nCommunity Action Works Campaigns\r\nCriminal Justice Policy Coalition\r\nDecarcerate Western Mass\r\nDefundNPD\r\nDemocratic Policy Center\r\nEdgartown Democratic Town Committee\r\nEmancipation Initiative\r\nEqual Citizens\r\nFamilies for Justice as Healing\r\nGarrison Trotter Neighborhood Association (GTNA)\r\nGreater Boston Legal Services CORI &amp; Reentry Project\r\nHAITIAN AMERICANS UNITED INC\r\nHealing Our Land Inc. Ministry\r\nIndivisible Martha's Vineyard\r\nJewish Alliance for Law and Social Action\r\nLawyers for Civil Rights\r\nLift Every Vote\r\nMass NOW\r\nMass Political Cooperative\r\nMass POWER\r\nMassachusetts Peace Action\r\nMassachusetts Voter Table\r\nMassVOTE\r\nMOCHA\r\nNAACP-Boston\r\nNARAL MA\r\nNeighbor to Neighbor MA\r\nNorthampton Abolition Now\r\nOut Now\r\nPrisoners' Legal Services\r\nPrisoners' Legal Services of Massachusetts\r\nProgressive Massachusetts\r\nPublic Higher Education Network of Massachusetts\r\nReclaim Our Democracy\r\nROCA\r\nSomerville Democratic City Committee (SDCC)\r\nThe Criminal Justice Reform Task Force of Congregation Dorshei Tzedek\r\nThe Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School\r\nThe Congregation B\u2019nai Israel Tikkun Olam Committee-Northampton\r\nThe National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls - MA\r\nThe Prison Policy Initiative\r\nThe Real Cost of Prisons Project\r\nThe Sentencing Project\r\nThe Tikkun Olam Committee of the Jewish Community of Amherst\r\nUnion of Minority Neighborhoods\r\nUU Mass Action\r\nWelcome Project Inc\r\nWinning Writers\r\nWorcester Democratic Socialists of America\r\nWorcester Interfaith\r\nYWCA Southeastern MA\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><em>###<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><em>The Democracy Behind Bars Coalition (DBBC) is a coalition of advocacy and community organizations, direct service and religious groups, and individuals committed to ensuring that democracy does not stop at prisons and jails in Massachusetts.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><em>The coalition is led by the organizing committee, which includes: \u00a0The African American Coalition Committee (AACC), Emancipation Initiative, Families for Justice as Healing, The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls - MA, Healing Our Lands, Inc, the ACLU of Massachusetts, Prisoners Legal Services, The Real Cost of Prisons Project, Common Cause Massachusetts, MOCHA, MassVOTE, the Massachusetts Voter Table, The Sentencing Project, Neighbor2Neighbor, Decarcerate Western Massachusetts, Progressive Massachusetts and more.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>"}}]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.6 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>60+ Organizations Support Legislation to Protect Voting Rights of Eligible\u00a0 Incarcerated Voters - Common Cause Massachusetts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/massachusetts\/press-releases\/60-organizations-support-legislation-to-protect-voting-rights-of-eligible-incarcerated-voters\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"60+ Organizations Support Legislation to Protect Voting Rights of Eligible\u00a0 Incarcerated Voters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/massachusetts\/press\/60-organizations-support-legislation-to-protect-voting-rights-of-eligible-incarcerated-voters\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Common Cause Massachusetts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/massachusetts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Daves-House-Map.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1366\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1006\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/massachusetts\/press-releases\/60-organizations-support-legislation-to-protect-voting-rights-of-eligible-incarcerated-voters\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/massachusetts\/press-releases\/60-organizations-support-legislation-to-protect-voting-rights-of-eligible-incarcerated-voters\/\",\"name\":\"60+ Organizations Support Legislation to Protect Voting Rights of Eligible\u00a0 Incarcerated Voters - 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