About the Course
According to The Sentencing Project, an estimated 2 percent of people of voting age in the United States were ineligible to cast ballots in 2022 due to state laws prohibiting people with felony convictions from voting. This MNJRC *Continuing the Conversation* explores the history of felon disenfranchisement in the United States, the efforts to change these laws in Minnesota and nationally, and the road ahead for voting rights. The panel stresses strategies to enhance democracy and boost voter turnout, including advising clients about their voting rights after felony voting restoration.
Panelists include Dr. Christopher Uggen, Regents Professor, Martindale Chair, and Distinguished McKnight Professor in Sociology, Law, and Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota; JaNae' Bates, theologian, Fulbright scholar, and Director of Communications for ISAIAH and Faith in Minnesota; Zeke Caligiuri, writer, system-impacted, and MNJRC Community Engagement Manager; and Dr. Katie Remington Cunningham, MNJRC's Research Director. The discussion was facilitated by Mark Haase, Executive Officer to the Ramsey County Attorney.