When does a criminal stop being a criminal? After his or her sentence is served, right? Wrong.
Prisoners released into the community must face their poor choices all of their lives. Many leave prison with no job skills. On top of that, few people want to give them jobs or rent apartments to them, reformed or not and regardless if the past crime was smoking pot or shooting somebody. Criminals surrender a wide array of rights and privileges depending on the crime.
Maryland revokes for life voting rights of two-time violent offenders. Other felons who serve their time, including parole and probation, wait three years to vote. That may seem like a long time to wait.
But good reasons exist to make former felons wait. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, this year “650,000 inmates will be released from prison, and studies show that approximately two-thirds will likely be rearrested within three years of release.”
Justice Maryland, which supports no waiting time for ex-felons to vote, estimates that more than 100,000 Maryland citizens can?t vote because of current law.
But given that parole and probation can end less than a year after release, it is only prudent to ensure that those able to vote fully understand their rights and responsibilities as citizens.
Unfortunately, the General Assembly does not think so. Delegates Monday night passed legislation to restore voting rights to all felons who have completed their full court-imposed sentences. Senators approved it earlier.
Contrary to the majority opinion, three years after finishing parole is not eternity nor a “draconian” amount of time to wait. Lifetime disenfranchisement for two-time violent felons is valid punishment.
More importantly, local governments have not been able to guarantee the integrity of voter-registration lists.
Potentially adding 50,000 former felons ? estimated by Justice Maryland ? who would be eligible to vote under the new legislation would overburden an already flawed system.
What happens if even 10 percent of those 50,000 end up back in prison after registering to vote? How will local governments prove their names have been removed and that no one can vote in their stead?
Gov. Martin O?Malley must veto the legislation. Existing law, passed in 2002, appropriately balances fairness to those who have paid part of their debt to society ? though not to their victims ? with concern for safeguarding our election process.
