SJP Mails Voting Guides to Incarcerated Clients 01.23.23

Thanks to the advocacy efforts of several organizations, lawmakers in the District of Columbia passed a law on July 7, 2020, expanding the right to vote to individuals who are incarcerated at the DC Jail and in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, even if they have a felony conviction. The law took effect later that year, making DC the third jurisdiction in the country to grant the right to vote to people who are incarcerated.

Voting is a fundamental right and the results of elections impact everyone, including people who are incarcerated. Therefore, no person who has reached the age of majority should have their vote suppressed. The voices of incarcerated individuals should be heard similarly to all other citizens with access to the franchise. This is a huge win for all incarcerated persons, including many of our clients.

In an effort to ensure that our clients are aware of the change in the law, SJP has recently mailed letters to current and former clients incarcerated at the DC Jail and in the Federal Bureau of Prisons providing them with voter registration forms and non-partisan voting guides created by the DC Restore the Vote Coalition. SJP wants our clients to feel empowered in all aspects and by having the right to vote on societal issues that they feel strongly about and/or for candidates who they support, we hope our clients feel that sense of empowerment. 

01/23/23