Ahead of the Elections, Advocates Push to Expand Voting Rights for People in Prison in Massachusetts
New research highlights how restoring and expanding the vote for justice-impacted people strengthens democracy.
Related to: Voting Rights, State Advocacy
[Boston, MA.] — On the eve of local and state elections across the country, advocates and researchers are calling attention to the millions of Americans who remain excluded from the democratic process due to felony disenfranchisement laws. According to The Sentencing Project’s new brief, “Expanding Electoral Engagement Among Justice-Impacted People,” roughly 4 million citizens nationwide are barred from voting because of felony convictions despite major reforms that have restored rights to millions on parole and probation in recent years.
The brief underscores that legal restoration alone is not enough. Even among people who are eligible to vote, participation rates remain significantly lower due to misinformation about eligibility, distrust in government, and a lack of targeted outreach. Yet, as the research shows, direct engagement—particularly through trusted relationships and personalized outreach—can meaningfully increase voter registration and turnout among justice-impacted individuals.
“This research reminds us that when people are invited to participate, they do,” said Nicole D. Porter, Senior Director of Advocacy at The Sentencing Project. “We cannot talk about democracy without ensuring that every citizen has equitable access to the ballot box.”
In Massachusetts, while legislators are working on a constitutional amendment to fully restore voting rights to individuals incarcerated on felony convictions—striking the long-standing exclusion that has stripped their vote while behind bars, organizers have launched a campaign to restore voting rights to people in prison.
“I believe felony disenfranchisement is a disservice to the Bay State. Other jurisdictions, including Maine, Vermont, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, allow the incarcerated population with felony convictions to vote. Having my right to vote will improve my rehabilitation, self-respect and quality of life during and after my incarceration,” said Maurice Skillman, AACC member and Empowering Descendant Communities to Unlock Democracy organizer. “I feel restoring this fundamental right will help reform the way I think and how I exist in society. I will ultimately be better prepared to reintegrate back into my community as a productive and effective citizen.”
As local and state elections approach, lawmakers must reform these outdated laws and restore voting rights to justice-impacted citizens to ensure they can participate in shaping the future of their communities. Voting is a fundamental right – not a privilege determined by conviction status.
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About The Sentencing Project
The Sentencing Project is a national nonprofit organization advocating for a fair and effective criminal justice system. Through research, policy analysis, and public education, it promotes reforms that reduce incarceration and advance racial justice.
About Empowering Descendant Communities to Unlock Democracy
The Empowering Descendant Communities to Unlock Democracy is collaborative project that recognizes that the exclusion of eligible jail voters and the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions erodes political power and worsens the racial biases of the criminal legal system. We are pursuing this goal through two mutually supportive paths: establishing jail-based voting and civic education programs, and building the necessary infrastructure to restore voting rights to thousands of individuals.
