Restoring voting rights promotes reintegration

For over 50 years, the United States has grappled with some of the highest incarceration rates in the world. To make matters worse, we make it incredibly difficult for people to reintegrate into society after their incarceration.

It creates a vicious cycle that weakens our communities and makes our democracy less representative.

Every April, we mark Second Chance Month as a poignant reminder of the resilience and potential of those who have been involved in the criminal legal system. It’s a chance for us to reflect on the importance of providing opportunities for redemption and reintegration into society, particularly for people who have served their time in jail or prison and are rebuilding their lives.

Paramount to promoting reintegration — and therefore reducing recidivism to help make our communities safer — is ensuring that everyone feels engaged and included in the communities they are returning to. This is why voting, and civic engagement more broadly, is so critical to ending the cycle of recidivism.

Unfortunately, many states prevent people who have a history with the criminal legal system from voting. Research from The Sentencing Project suggests more than 4.4 million Americans were prevented from voting in the 2022 elections due to a felony conviction.

Thankfully, we’ve made progress here in New Mexico. Last year, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the New Mexico Voting Rights Act into law, restoring voting rights to 11,000 people with felony convictions immediately upon release after incarceration. The law went into effect in July 2023.

However, significant barriers still exist for returning voters seeking to exercise their right to the ballot.

I’ve faced this issue firsthand. Despite attempting to register three times, I was denied by county clerks due to the failure of the correctional department to update their systems and notify the Secretary of State’s Office about releases. This reliance on manual transmission of information leads to administrative confusion on the online voter registration portal and for voter registration agents.

Formerly incarcerated individuals may receive letters requiring in-person registration if they attempt to register online or through an agent. But, the only reliable registration method is in person at the county clerk’s office, the Motor Vehicle Division, or on election day at the polling site. Such experiences can be especially discouraging for returning citizens who are already navigating the difficulties of life on the outside and the bureaucratic processes they have to contend with post-release.

Moreover, these obstacles are counterproductive to achieving public safety. Research supports that restoring voting rights for people with felony convictions can improve community safety.

It’s time to stop this cycle that undermines the efforts of people who have been involved in the criminal legal system getting their lives back. By restoring the rights of returning citizens, we can ensure that these individuals feel a sense of belonging in their communities, which is essential for successful reintegration.

That is why at Organizers in the Land of Enchantment (OLÉ), I am working to implement an education program called Unlock Civics NM in partnership with the New Mexico Corrections Department and alternative schools. This program aims to empower justice-impacted individuals with the knowledge and skills to advocate for themselves and their communities.

We recently hosted an End Mass Incarceration Day in partnership with the ACLU of New Mexico, taking recently released members of the community to the statehouse to see the legislative process up close and personal.

Civic engagement through voting, advocacy and other community centered activities is not just a right, but a critical route to successful reintegration, empowerment and ultimately achieving community safety. Through passage of important legislation like the Inclusive Democracy Act, we can restore the voices and rights of those of us previously silenced by mass incarceration and foster a more inclusive and just society for all.