

Confronting the Ripple Effects of Felony Disenfranchisement

  • Confronting the Ripple Effects of Felony Disenfranchisement: “Today, I was interviewed on Democracy Now! discussing felony disenfranchisement policies with Crystal Mason, a Texas woman sentenced to five years for mistakenly casting a provisional ballot while on parole. In a letter published by the New York Times, in response to an article about similar cases in North Carolina, I argue states must enact notification policies for people who lose their rights to vote and educate them on how their rights can be restored.
  • How Defense Attorneys Can Eliminate Racial Disparities in Criminal Justice: In the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ journal, The Champion, senior research analyst Nazgol Ghandnoosh suggests that defense attorneys can help tackle racial disparities by assessing their casework for bias; engaging in public education, litigation, and advocacy; and by reforming hiring, admissions, and discipline policies in the institutions to which they belong.
  • Cell Phones and ‘Excessive Contact’: The Contradictory Imperatives Facing California’s Parole-Eligible Lifers: Nazgol also published an article in Criminal Justice Policy Review, explaining how parole and prison policies create an incentive for California’s parole-eligible lifers to break prison rules by using cell phones and engaging in physical contact with visitors that’s deemed “excessive.” When detected, these behaviors delay their parole prospects. Nazgol argues that to effectively reduce these forms of misconduct, policymakers and practitioners should address excessive incarceration and expand phone access and family contact.”

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