Felony Disenfranchisement in the US, 1994-2004

"• Since 1997, 16 states have implemented reforms to their felony disenfranchisement policies
"• These reforms have resulted in the restoration of voting rights to an estimated 621,400 persons
"• By 2004, the total number of people disenfranchised due to a felony conviction had risen to 5.3 million
"• Among those disenfranchised, 74% are currently living in the community
"• In 2004, 1 in 12 African Americans was disenfranchised because of a felony conviction, a rate nearly five times that of non-African Americans
"• Voting is linked with reduced recidivism; one study shows that 27 percent of non-voters were rearrested, compared with 12 percent of voters"

Source

King, Ryan S., "A Decade of Reform: Felony Disenfranchisement Policy in the United States" (Washington, DC: Sentencing Project, 2006), p. 2.
http://www.issuelab.org/resou…