The Sentencing Project Condemns Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Decision Upholding Mississippi Felony Voting Bans
Nicole D. Porter, senior director of advocacy at The Sentencing Project released a statement on the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision sending voting rights in the Mississippi into further disarray.
Related to: Voting Rights, State Advocacy
Washington, D.C. – Nicole D. Porter, senior director of advocacy at The Sentencing Project released the following statement on the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision sending voting rights in the state into further disarray:
“We are deeply disheartened by the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision to tacitly uphold Mississippi’s ban on voting for people with certain felony convictions. This ruling only perpetuates a policy rooted in the oppressive Jim Crow laws of the past, which stands in stark contrast to the principles of our supposedly inclusive democracy.
“Felony disenfranchisement laws in Mississippi, and across the United States, disproportionately harm communities of color, diluting their voting power and entrenching systemic inequities. The Court’s decision to turn this ban back over to the legislature, not only silences the voices of those who have paid their debt to society but also demonstrates how inconsistent and undemocratic the process of disenfranchising people is based on their criminal-legal status.
“It is crucial to recognize that felony voting bans are rooted in efforts to stop the Black vote post-Reconstruction. These laws continue to perpetuate racial disparities in the criminal legal system, reflecting a history of racial injustice that we must actively work to dismantle.
“Voting is a fundamental right that should not be stripped due to a felony conviction. Our nation’s democracy is strongest when every voice is heard and every individual has the opportunity to participate in the electoral process.
“We call on lawmakers, advocates, and citizens to continue fighting for the restoration of voting rights for all individuals, regardless of their involvement with the criminal legal system. It is time to end felony disenfranchisement and to ensure that our democracy reflects the values of equity, justice, and inclusion, in every state, including Mississippi.”
The Sentencing Project recently released the Out of Step report in collaboration with ACLU and Human Rights Watch, which marks the United States as a global outlier in revoking voting rights based on criminal-legal system involvement. As of 2022, over 4.4 million people in the United States were disenfranchised due to a felony conviction, and thousands of eligible voters were unable to cast their ballot due to their incarceration status.
