If I could change one law, it would be this: every person who has completed their sentence should automatically have their voting rights restored. No paperwork. No petitions. No second punishment. While I am speaking about women, this doesn’t exclude men. I am simply reporting on a topic I have experience with.
Rise in Women’s Incarceration, 1980-2023
Sources: Historical data 1854-1984
Addiction plays a major role in this. Women are more likely than men to be incarcerated for drug‑related offenses, and more likely to have experienced trauma, domestic violence, or homelessness before arrest. When addiction goes untreated, the criminal legal system becomes the default response, and mothers pay the highest price. Separation from children increases stress, relapse risk, and instability, all of which make reentry harder and recidivism more likely. I believe that anyone who has served their time deserves the right to vote, unless there are justified and extreme cases barring them from doing so.
Because voting isn’t just symbolic. For mothers, it’s a tool of stability. It’s a way to advocate for the services that prevent relapse, keep families together, and reduce the likelihood of returning to prison. It’s a way to participate in shaping the world their children will grow up in. And it’s a recognition that once someone has paid their debt, the state should not keep collecting.
Restoring voting rights after time served is not leniency. It’s alignment. A person still has to choose to exercise that right, but at least it is available. It matches our stated belief in rehabilitation, reintegration, and second chances. I have written about women receiving a second chance after incarceration before. With structure many people do well, that is a good thing. This is a Christian value that I hold that after you pay a penance, served your time, and rehabilitated yourself while incarcerated you can do good for society with civic duty.
No one has to remain in a victim state. But it is ok to acknowledge that some people were dealt a raw deal. Now is the time to educate the disenfranchised on how to participate in this new economy. Educate them so that they can educate their children. I am not an expert, but I am loyal to second chances, and I imagine most people would be if given a shot.
Source
Data summarized from Incarcerated Women and Girls – The Sentencing Project.
