Gov. Beshear’s recent decision to restore voting rights to many felons is an encouraging step toward criminal justice reform. The governor listed a litany of reasons why ‘it makes no sense” to deny opportunities to those seeking to rebuild their lives after serving out their sentences. He cited a key study that those whose rights are restored are less likely to commit another crime.
Though this signifies a significant policy shift, I am disappointed that the governor’s executive order did not go far enough. He excluded among others, those who commit a “sex-related offense.” While this might be overwhelmingly applauded by most, the facts and studies do not support the belief that those convicted of sex offenses are more likely to commit another offense, or that such a population is more dangerous and incurable. Full Opinion Piece
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Yes all rights should be restored after completion of their sentence. And criminal records should only be used for prosucutorial reasons for repeat offenders. This lifetime branding people is totally counterproductive to the rehabilitation and reintegration process. It’s so stressful to know that if for some reason in the future you become homeless and am not able to report once a month then you will return to prison not for commiting a crime but for simply failing to provide info to the gov within a certain time frame.