A new ballot measure proposed on Wednesday by a group representing prisoners, their families, and their supporters would allow felons to vote.
Initiate Justice, an Oakland-base group, filed a constitutional amendment yesterday. The group has 2,500 members currently behind bars and $1,000 members on the outside.
Founder and executive director Taina Vargas-Edmond told the L.A. Times:
"They [prisoners] don’t lose their citizenship when they become arrested. I don’t believe they should lose their access to their democracy.”
Initiate Justice needs 585,407 valid voter signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot. Why do we need to fight for the felons?! Because they paid their debt to society, should we thank them for their service?