One Mississippi lawmaker is looking to propose easier ways to restore the voting rights of individuals previously incarcerated for nonviolent offenses as we near the rapidly approaching 2025 legislative session.
Senate Corrections Committee Chairman Juan Barnett, D-Heidelberg, is challenging the current means by which those who spent time behind bars can return to the ballot box. In Mississippi, once an inmate completes his or her sentence, the individual is tasked with consulting their local state representative or senator to have voting rights restored. If the inquiry is considered, the local lawmaker will then need to introduce legislation on the former inmate’s behalf. That bill must be passed by a two-thirds majority vote and not vetoed by the governor.
“Individuals who have been out for a certain amount of time, haven’t committed any crimes since then, and paid their debts to society should have their rights restored, but shouldn’t have to go through this long, lengthy process,” Barnett said.
Oftentimes, the process requires action by an attorney, which can end up being quite costly for one looking to be reacclamated to society. Barnett deems the entire process problematic and plans to introduce legislation that would circumvent the legislature’s involvement altogether.
“They should be able to take their information back to the sentencing court where they were sentenced, let the judge review their information, and let their rights be restored from there,” Barnett continued. “So often, everything has to go through lawyers and people don’t necessarily have the funds to afford all that. If the courts can sentence them, then the courts should be the ones to help restore their rights”
The first step in helping an inmate become eligible to vote once again, per the Democratic legislator, would be for prison officials to start working on ways to have the inmate prepared to be reintroduced into society well before his or her release date.
“We’re too busy trying to figure out what we’re going to do post-release,” Barnett added. “We need to start working on what we’re going to do when they first enter the system — how we’re going to fix this problem versus waiting until they’re six months out or a month out [from release].”
Barnett will also look to incentivize programs that help inmates undergo voluntary workforce training so that they can have a job once their sentences expire.
The lawmaker’s planned proposal would only affect those who are legally eligible to have their voting rights restored. Meanwhile, Mississippians convicted of certain crimes, ranging from murder and rape to timber larceny and receiving stolen property, can be disenfranchised permanently. Litigation has been filed to urge the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the existing state law.
State lawmakers will gather at the capitol on Tuesday, Jan. 7 to begin the 2025 legislative session.
