Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 26 August 2005 — Page 2

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THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2005

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PRISON ► Continued from Page 1 back to your past and judges you, although you served your time,” Alston added. The issue of former convicts and their role in society returned to national prominence after the 2000 presidential election, when more observers began to notice that some states have laws barring ex-felons from voting. According to the Sentencing Group, an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., an estimated 4.7 million citizens are ineligible to vote because of prior felony convictions. Some analysts note that the outcome of the 2000 presidential election and close elections for the U.S. Senate and governor in various states in 2004 would have likely been different if ex-felons were allowed to vote in “battle ground” states like Florida. Specifically, the 14th Amendment permits states to deny voting as punishment for “participation in rebellion, or other crime.” So in those states, ex-felons who attempt to become responsible citizens cannot participate in elections, regardless of whether they sympathize with Democrats or Republicans. Five states - Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky and Virginia - deny voting rights to all felons (unless their rights are restored on an individual basis), while eight more deny voting rights to felons for certain crimes. Most states (21) allow ex-felons to vote after their release and completion of parole. Only two states, Vermont and Maine, allow prisoners and ex-convicts to vote at all times. National organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the NAACP have been waging legal battles to push states to restore voting rights to exfelons once they have served their time, paid court costs and provided restitution (as required in some states). “We’ve taken up this cause because the right to vote should be a constitutional right, not a state right, because that just doesn’t make any sense,” said Daryl Mickens, president of the Greater Indianapolis Branch of the NAACP. Fortunately, the denial of voting opportunities to exconvicts has notbeen aserious problem in Indiana, as it is one of 14 states that automatically restore those rights once a person leaves prison. However, local residents in the process of rebuilding their lives after prison still face other complications and roadblocks, even if they have truly reformed their lives. Many of them, for instance,

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face difficulties in finding a job that provides a livable wage, restoring their credit and securing grants or loans for higher education. Ric Thomas completed his prison term for a felony conviction almost 20 years ago, but still faces judgment and resentment in certain sectors of society. Although he was able to find employment upon his release, Thomas dealt with discrimination while searching for a place to live at apartment complexes. “When they learned about my record, they had excuses and suddenly no vacancies were available,” Thomas stated. Currently, Thomas works in an agency for the City of Indianapolis. He and his wife, Sue, operate an outreach ministry that reaches out to prison inmates still caught up in the justice system and operates a home for women fighting drug and alcohol addictions. He was assisted by a support group during his transition from prison to regular society. Still, Thomas was denied custody of his grandchildren - two girls and a boy - when it became apparent that it was not best for the children to be in the care of his son or their mother at this time. “They wouldn’t allow me to take in my own grandchildren because of an old felony conviction that had nothing to do with my ability to care for kids,” said Thomas. “The kids ended up with a relative of the mother. But I think we could have provided the best care for them because we live in athreebedroomhouse with a basement and could have given each of the children their own room.” Alston admitted that some ex-convicts are serious about reforming their lives, and others are not. Buthe warned that those who are sincere often receive little help from transition programs that only see them as “additional numbers” to attract more funding. Part of the solution, he believes is more involvement from churches, especially Black congregations located in high crime areas that are waiting for many inmates when they return home. Alston encourages recently released ex-inmates to “never get off the wall” and keep trying their hardest. “You can’t expect to get a job at a place like Eli Lilly once you get out,” he said. “You might have to take a low paying job for a minute. But if you continue to work hard and be excellent at what you do, then you’ll get noticed and greater offers will come.” “Don’t get discouraged and don’t ever give up or go back to what put you in prison in the first place,” added Thomas. “Just keep on turning in those applications and learn to sell yourself - your greatest qualities - when applying for jobs and training programs.” Mickens said he hears stories like those shared by Alston and Thomas quite often as he talks with people around the city, and said the NAACP is investigating the effectiveness of skill development programs being offered in prison, and looking to see if there are any partnerships between correctional institutions and companies to ensure that inmates can find jobs usingthosenewskills. Heagrees that times are getting harder for ex-convicts searching for work in an economy where even employees with master’s degrees are being laid off “Ex-offenders still should have a fair chance of getting employment,” said Mickens. “They should not be penalized again for a mistake the courts said they have already paid for with time. They’ve paid the price, now we should give them a second chance. Because if there’s no second chance for them, then chances are they’re going to end up back in the system.”

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