NBPA Resolution on Restoring Voting Rights

National Black Police Association

Resolution on Restoring Voting Rights

June 2008 

• WHEREAS, the National Black Police Association (NBPA) is a nationwide organization of African-Americans dedicated to the promotion of justice, fairness, and effectiveness in law enforcement; and

• WHEREAS, the NBPA recognizes that denying the franchise to people who are living in the community serves no law enforcement purpose and violates core principles of democracy and equality; and

• WHEREAS, a number of states continue to disenfranchise people with felony convictions who are out of prison and living in the community; and

• WHEREAS, the NBPA believes a critical element of protecting public safety is succesful reintegration of former offenders back into their communities, and that barriers to civic engagement are barriers to reintegration; and

• WHEREAS, the NBPA believes that barring people from the political process hinders effective policing by undermining the ability for police to build strong community partnerships; and

• WHEREAS, the NBPA recognizes that many state felony disenfranchisement laws are firmly rooted in the Jim Crow era and, alongside poll taxes and literacy tests, were designed to remove Blacks from the political process; and

• WHEREAS, these laws continue to have disproportionate impact on Black communities today, with 13% of Black men disenfranchised, a rate that is seven times the national average.

• THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Black Police Association supports the automatic restoration of voting rights upon discharge from prison and advocates no loss of voting rights while on community supervision.