Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice Advisory Council

Disenfranchising people with criminal convictions provides no legitimate law enforcement purpose. In fact, restoring voting rights is sound policy from a law enforcement perspective. A critical element of protecting public safety is reducing recidivism through successful reentry of former offenders into their communities. Disenfranchising this population hinders reintegration back into society because it fosters second-class citizenship, while restoring voting rights can help promote civic engagement and pro-social behaviors helpful to the reentry process.

On June 8th, 2007 the Brennan Center held a convening of law enforcement and criminal justice allies. Click here to read more about the Convening and the Advisory Council.

Click here to read more about resolutions passed by law enforcement and criminal justice organizations in favor of voting rights restoration. 

Our allies have also written numerous articles and letters in favor of voting rights restoration. Click here to read about recent advocacy efforts.  

 

Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Convening


On June 8, 2007 the Brennan Center held a groundbreaking convening of law enforcement and criminal justice leaders from across the country to discuss the relationship between voting, successful reintegration, and public safety. After the day-long program, many of the convening participants agreed to come together and join the Brennan Center's campaign to restore voting rights to people with felony convictions.

We have harnessed the energy and enthusiasm created by the convening in a newly formed Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice Advisory Council, which will continue work closely with the Brennan Center on both a local and national level. 

Current members include:

 

Resolutions


In October 2007, Advisory Council members helped pass an American Probation and Parole Association resolution in favor of restoring voting rights to people upon release from prison. In April 2008, Advisory Council members helped pass an Association of Paroling Authorities International resolution that endorsed voting rights restoration and encouraged paroling authorities to participate in the passage and implementation of laws that engage former offenders in the civic discourse. In June 2008, the National Black Police Association passed a resolution in favor of the automatic restoration of voting rights upon release from prison.  

 

Advocacy Efforts

Our partners in the law enforcement and criminal justice community continue to be strong allies.

Miami Police Chief John F. Timoney, a member of our Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Advisory Council and President of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), recently wrote to PERF members that he hoped President Obama would pay serious attention to two compelling issues: restoring voting rights to people with felony convictions and fixing the disparity in federal crack cocaine sentencing guidelines.

Federal

On March 16, 2010, APPA's Carl Wicklund testified at a House Judiciary Committee, Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Subcommittee hearing on the Democracy Restoration Act (DRA). The DRA is a federal bill that seeks to restore the right to vote in federal elections to individuals on parole and probation. On December 10, 2009 law enforcement and criminal justice leaders submitted a letter to members of Congress in support of the bill.

Colorado

In March 2010, APPA Executive Director Carl Wicklund wrote a letter to members of House of Representatives in support of, SB 179, a bill that restores the right to vote to people on parole and requires notification to individuals in the criminal justice system about their right to vote, was introduced. The bill passed the Senate, but unfortunately died in the House. 

Florida

In March 2010, the Florida Clemency Board turned back the clock on voting rights restoration efforts by passing a plan that eliminated the 2007 reforms and put up additional barriers for people seeking to have their voting rights restored.The Brennan Center, along with other national civil rights organizations, submitted a letter to the Florida Clemency Board that expressed strong opposition to the plan, which was proposed by Attorney General Pam Bondi in February 2011. The letter urged Governor Scott and his cabinet to maintain the 2007 clemency rules. The American Probation and Parole Association also submitted a letter that encouraged the Florida Clemency Board to continue to restore voting rights to Floridians who have completed their criminal sentences according to the current clemency rules. The new rules adhere to the  Florida constitution, which denies the right to vote for life to anyone with a felony conviction, unless the governor grants individual clemency . Essentially, the new rules give the governor, an elected official, the power to decide who will (or won't) be allowed to vote in the next election.

Iowa

In an enormous step backward, Governor Terry Branstad took office in Iowa in January 2011 and rescinded Executive Order 42 that had restored voting rights to Iowa citizens who had completed their sentences. The Brennan Center worked with allies to try to dissuade Governor Branstad from taking this step.  A coalition of non-partisan and faith-based Iowa organizations sent Governor Branstad a sign-on letter urging him to maintain Executive Order 42. Both the American Probation and Parole Association and the American Correctional Association sent letters to Governor Branstad encouraging him to maintain the policy. The American Bar Association also sent a letter to the new Governor explaining why they supported the 2005 executive order, which had implemented automatic restoration of rights. The Des Moines Register also published a strong editorial urging the Governor to maintain the 2005 policy.  Despite the strong support for restoring voting rights, Governor Branstad issued his own executive order permanently disenfranchising people in Iowa unless they apply to his office for approval. Iowa now joins Florida, Kentucky and Virginia as the last states in the country to permanently disenfranchise all people with criminal convictions unless restored by the Governor.

Kentucky

In March 2010,  APPA Executive Director Carl Wicklund wrote letters to Senators Tom Jensen and Robert Stivers urging them to support legislation that seeks to restore voting right to individuals convicted of certain criminal convictions.

In March 2008, APPA Executive Director Carl Wicklund published in the Lexington Herald-Leader in support of recent reforms in Kentucky. He also made submitted comments to the Kentucky Advisory Committee to the US Commission on Civil Rights urging the Commission take steps to reform Kentucky's draconian disenfranchisement laws.

Nevada

Lee Rowland introduced the Right to Vote bill and gave testimony in support of the bill, A.B. 301, on March 22, 2011.The bill would have simplified Nevada’s complicated law by automatically restoring voting rights to anyone who successfully completes a felony sentence of imprisonment, probation, or parole. On May 12, 2011 Lee Rowland gave testimony before the State Senate Legislative Operations and Elections Committee. The bill was also supported by the American Probation and Parole Association, which submitted written testimony.  The bill passed in both houses of the legislature and was supported by a strong coalition of Nevadans and a cross-section of organizations and communities, but unfortunately the bill was vetoed by Governor Sandoval on June 17, 2011.

New York

In April 2009, retired Brooklyn Bureau Chief Leonard Marks testified with Brennan Center's Erika Wood,  before the N.Y. Senate Elections Committee in support of the Voting Rights Notification and Registration Act.  In his testimony, Mr. Marks emphasized the link between voting and an individual's successful re-entry

Virginia 

APPA's Carl Wicklund, teamed up with the Brennan Center to submitt letters in support of voting rights restoration to individuals who have committed non-violent felonies to Delegates Mark Cole, Frank Hargrove, and Riley Ingram. 

Washington

Seattle Police Chief R. Gil Kerlikowske (Obama's new drug czar) co-authored an editorial with John Lovick, Snohomish County Sheriff, in support of legislation in Washington State that would eliminate the requirement that individuals must pay all legal financial obligations to be restored the right to vote, and automatically restores the right to vote to people who have completed their sentence.  The National Black Police Association and the American Probation and Parole Association wrote letters to the Governor in support of the bill. On May 4, 2009, Governor Gregorie signed the bill into law. The success of the bill can be attributed to the support of our law enforcement allies: three former law enforcement officers who are now legislators declared during the floor debate that while they had voted against the bill in the past, this year they were supporting the legislation.

Wisconsin

APPA's Carl Wicklund submitted written testimony in favor of a bill in Wisconsin that would restore voting rights to individuals upon release from prison.  APPA member and President of Wisconsin's Council on Community Corrections and ATTIC Correctional Services, Terry Marshall, also testified in favor of the bill at an Assembly hearing on August 27, 2009. Watch the full hearing here.


 

 

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