The Sentencing Project's Disenfranchisement News/Updates: September 20, 2007

Wisconsin: Bill Proposes Voting While on Parole, Professor Shares His Story of "Civic Redemption," Importance of Voting Six Wisconsin residents would not be facing prison time if a bill introduced by Rep. Joe Parisi is passed by the legislature. Those citizens, who claimed they didn't know they were violating state law by voting while on parole, may return to prison - this time on voting fraud charges, according to a Wisconsin Public Radio report. Current state law bans parolees from voting. "They weren't out slashing tires, they weren't out holding up a convenience store. They were voting," said Parisi. "If our goal is to get people who have served their time in prison reintegrated back into society and to become productive members of society, a policy like this simply makes no sense." Having completed his sentence and parole, a Wisconsin professor voted for the first time in 2005 after having completed his five-year sentence. Kurt Hohenstein, who was charged with embezzlement, recently told his story of "civic redemption" at a public lecture at Winona State University where he teaches history, the Winona Daily News reported. After his release, Hohenstein, who lectures on the importance of democracy and voting, earned a PhD in history from the University of Virginia and won the Hughes-Gossett award from the Supreme Court Historical Society for his article on federal regulation of medical practice. National: Disenfranchisement Laws Produce "Invisible" Men, Women S. David Mitchell, law professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law, wrote a guest column for Jurist on the deprivations associated with felon exclusion laws. "When ex-felons are denied the right to vote, they are effectively silenced at the ballot box and are unable to choose political representation. ... While the laws have a direct impact on the lives of individual ex-felons, the laws collaterally impact the communities of which ex- felons are members." Mitchell advocates for the automatic restoration of rights upon sentence completion. - - - - - - Help The Sentencing Project continue to bring you news and updates on disenfranchisement! Make a contribution today.