To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
The Right To Vote
Citizenship requires that citizens vote. Anyone who commits a crime, and serves their time, upon their being released from mandated social control should then be readmitted into the community, with all the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
Why is this important?
Unfortunately, too many states deny individuals who have served their required time in prison upon their release, restored rights as citizens. After being released from incarceration, by denying the "Right to Vote", their punishment continues, thus preventing them from participating again as restored citizens within the community.
Denying the Right to Vote, upon completing the required punishment determined for a crime against the community, is "cruel and unusual punishment".
The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution forbids “cruel and unusual punishments”. If after, someone has “paid their debt” to society and they are released, but still being punished in some states, but not others, is their right of citizenship protected under federal law ? If they are continually “punished” for their previous crime how will they be accepted back into the community of man to participate fully as a citizen of their community and nation ?
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution’s Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause applies to the states. Since states view the “Right to Vote”, after incarceration, so differently for committing the same crime doesn’t this violate the U. S. Constitution ?
Reference this website to compare states and the Right To Vote after incarceration: http://www.866ourvote.org/issues/felony-convictions
Denying the Right to Vote, upon completing the required punishment determined for a crime against the community, is "cruel and unusual punishment".
The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution forbids “cruel and unusual punishments”. If after, someone has “paid their debt” to society and they are released, but still being punished in some states, but not others, is their right of citizenship protected under federal law ? If they are continually “punished” for their previous crime how will they be accepted back into the community of man to participate fully as a citizen of their community and nation ?
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution’s Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause applies to the states. Since states view the “Right to Vote”, after incarceration, so differently for committing the same crime doesn’t this violate the U. S. Constitution ?
Reference this website to compare states and the Right To Vote after incarceration: http://www.866ourvote.org/issues/felony-convictions