Amendment 4 restores felons’ rights and, most importantly, their hope

Desmond Tutu once stated, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”

Until Tuesday evening, Florida was a bleak and hope-draining state for the 1.4 million returning citizens (formerly incarcerated individuals) who call Florida home. However, there was one optimistic individual who had the faith, charisma and vision to lead and galvanize not only fellow returning citizens, but leaders and celebrities from across the country to support getting Amendment 4 on the ballot and ultimately passed.

Desmond Meade, president of Florida Rights Restoration Coalition is the man who led the charge throughout the battle for Amendment 4. As worded on the ballot, this amendment restores the voting rights of Floridians with felony convictions after they complete all terms of their sentence including parole or probation. The amendment would not apply to those convicted of murder or sexual offenses; those offenders would continue to be permanently barred from voting unless the governor and Cabinet vote to restore their rights on a case-by-case basis.

Honestly, I can admit I was touched by the thought of all the individuals in my personal life that this amendment would positively impact, such as my biological mother, uncles and cousins. As I walked out of my private-practice office this evening and tuned into my social media, I was able to witness my paternal older brother, Davion Hampton, become overwhelmed with emotions after learning Amendment 4 had passed. He knew at that very moment that his life would be changing for the better, and his voice would now be heard.

However, through my lens as a mentalhealth professional, not only did I witness restoration of rights, I witnessed restoration of hope. Although not referred to often, hope is a key component for individuals engaging in the therapeutic process of improving or stabilizing their mentalhealth well-being (social, emotional and/or psychological). “Hope is both a trigger of [the] recovery process and a maintaining factor. Inherent in the notion of hope is the development of the sense of purpose and meaning in life and optimism for the future,” researchers Helen Spandler and Theo Stickley wrote in the Journal of Mental Health in 2011.

Current and future returning citizens might still experience hardships and struggles during their transition back into their communities, creating dark and despairing moments. But the compassion shown by the 64 percent of Florida voters leading to the victory of Amendment 4 could serve as the illumination of hope needed for those citizens during those dark hours.

Spandler and Stickley state: “Human beings are a profoundly social species who depends on the safety, care and support, affection, and encouragement of others to survive and thrive. It is out of this compassion context that we are able to develop a sense of purpose, meaning, and hope. It is precisely these qualities that are seen as central to mental health well-being.”

I would like to encourage returning citizens to continue to foster this hope by seeking out family, friends, mental-health professionals, community leaders or life coaches to help process the many emotions, thoughts, and feelings they might be experiencing after Tuesday’s colossal victory.