Voting Rights of People in New York With Criminal Records

These free, downloadable videos were created by the Legal Action Center for the NYS Division of Probation and Correctional Alternatives (DPCA). They are intended as an educational resource addressing the voting rights of people in New York with criminal records.

The Brennan Center for Justice recently released a report titled "Jim Crow in New York," which, according to the NY Times, looks at, "the origins of a law that the report contends was created to disenfranchise blacks, an effect that lingers to this day... The report, written by Erika L. Wood, a lawyer for the center, and Liz Budnitz, says that of the roughly 108,000 New Yorkers affected by the law, about 80 percent are black or Hispanic. And nearly half of all of those ineligible to vote are no longer in prison, but remain barred because they are on parole... The 28-page report recommends that the law be changed to restore voting rights to those on parole."
You can read the report and to learn more by visiting the Brennan Center's website.


Please note: These video files may take several minutes to download depending on your internet connection.

 

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