When you’re behind bars people think you’re just sitting around planning your next crime. In reality, I spent a lot of time thinking about how I can improve my community.
My name is Raymond Powell, and I was incarcerated in Indiana, and now, I work for Public Advocates in Community Re-Entry, or PACE, to help people get back on their feet after prison.
I’ve found that people with experience in the criminal legal system are acutely aware of its problems – such as over-criminalization, disproportionate sentencing, and failed drug policies. This firsthand experience is valuable and, unfortunately, often suppressed or undervalued. Voting is one of the most powerful ways to leverage this lived experience to make change.
Many people don’t realize that in Indiana, a conviction doesn’t affect your right to vote forever.
We get the right to vote back the minute we leave prison. It’s an issue that continues to be misunderstood – not only among people who have firsthand experience with the justice system, AKA ‘justice-involved,’ folks like me – but also by judges, parole officers, and other key players in the criminal legal system. It’s part of the reason I’ve chosen to be a public advocate for the voting rights of justice-involved people.
Voters want elected leaders who will push for criminal justice reform, understand the root causes of crime, and will fairly represent our neighborhoods. Voting is not just a civic duty; it is a powerful tool for change.
Some people think voting doesn’t matter, but there is value in making your voice heard.
While there is a lot of focus on national elections, local officials such as judges, prosecutors, city councilors, and state representatives make decisions that greatly impact our friends, families, and communities.
I pose the question; Do we want the people to represent us to understand our broken legal system, and fix it, or do we want to continue with the status quo?
Justice-Involved people's lived experience holds value.
One issue where justice-involved folks have a first-hand experience is with compassionate release. Many of us have witnessed our friends endure severe health challenges and the effects of aging while behind bars.
Compassionate release allows for the early release of incarcerated people who meet specific criteria, so they can spend the rest of their lives in an environment that can better meet their needs, like with family or in a nursing facility.
Having been incarcerated ourselves, we understand the physical toll that long-term imprisonment can take, especially on people who are seriously ill or elderly. And this empathy can fuel our advocacy for more humane policies and help inform our votes.
When we vote, we gain influence.
Voting helps us break down the stigmas that come with a criminal record. It’s a way to show that we are more than our past mistakes, that we are committed to being active, responsible members of our communities. When we vote, we demonstrate that we care about the future.
I encourage all my peers who have been through the criminal legal system to register to vote and make their voices heard.
Take the time to learn about where candidates stand on criminal legal reform, register to vote, and go to the polls to make your voice heard. Change starts with us.
In Indiana, we have the right to vote. Let’s use it. Together we can build a better future. Visit aclu-in.org/vote to learn more about voter rights and how to register.
