Re-entering society

[This is a reprise of a diary I did last fall about making a difference in the lives of rehabilitated felons.]

There are many thousands of men and women in this country who feel like they don't have a stake in what happens politically because they believe, often erroneously, that they cannot vote. They are "ex-cons" and they are told again and again that they don't count because they made a mistake.

You can make a huge difference in the lives of "ex-cons"--especially if you are an attorney, but even if you are not.

In a number of states, including California, there are charges that can be felonies or misdemeanors, depending on how the prosecutor chooses to file the case. And even then, in some instances, the charge may be reduced by the judge from a felony to a misdemeanor.

But whether it really was a felony, or a misunderstood misdemeanor, there is probably something that can be done.

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If a person is a convicted felon, in ONLY TWO states does this completely bar them FOR LIFE from voting.

In many other states, like California, even if you have been convicted of a felony, as long as you are not in prison or on parole, you may vote.

And think about how would you feel if you found out after 11 years, that what you thought was a felony was really a misdemeanor-- and you have been putting on your job applications that you were a convicted felon all these years ? And probably not getting a lot of jobs because of that supposed conviction ?

And that you have not been registered to vote because you thought you were a felon, and didn't know that, since you aren't in prison and aren't on parole, that, at least in California, there is no reason not to register and vote ?

Or perhaps you might feel a lot like the man I talked to today who told me he hadn't voted for the past 14 years because he was an ex-con. Well, in California, that means he CAN vote. He's off parole, he's not in prison, he's over 18, he's a citizen. His current legal issues are minor.

I handed him a voter registration form which he filled out immediately. He walked out of my office a foot taller, emotionally, than when he walked in.

Many times over the years I have had the pleasure of giving a rehabilitated defendant his voting rights back and it is always a thrill.

You, too, can make a difference. If a friend or acquaintance has this issue, help them to find out if they may be eligible to vote by encouraging them to ask an attorney, or check this
link to the ACLU website for more information about the laws in your state.

Every person has the potential to make a difference in this country. No one should be written off. I recall with great fondness a man who made a great deal of positive difference in the lives of many here in Southern California-- after he had served multiple jail and prison sentences related to drugs.

FORTY TWO times he tried rehab before it finally took. But once it did, he went to school to learn how to help others, and spent the rest of his life helping his fellow addicts to re-enter society.

Never give up ! Every human being has the potential to make a positive difference in the lives of others. You can be the one who helps to give an ex-con back their self-respect and dignity.