Commentary on Felon Disfranchisement
Sasha Abramsky writes on Democracy Dispatches: Twenty-five years ago, a young African-American man from Dothan, Alabama, got drunk and wandered into a stranger's house. Frightened, the woman called the police and the teenager was arrested. He was told that he faced several years in prison for breaking and entering; instead, the judge listened to testimonials about the 18-year-old's character from the local boys' club and other organizations, and decided to put him on probation.
Over the past quarter century, the man has remained crime-free and has become a model citizen. He has been a volunteer for decades with the Boy's Club, a mentor to local teenagers-yet, because of his one felony conviction, he still cannot vote. -- Democracy Dispatches