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Restoring Felons’ Rights
posted 11:32 pm Tue July 08, 2008 - Danville, VA
reporter: Ashley Singh
posted by: Webteam
Should convicted felons be able to vote? That's what the "Virginia Organizing Project" is pushing for in Danville. They're going door to door to try to restore felons' voting rights. We spoke with one man who lost his rights 35 years ago.
If you're convicted of a felony, you automatically lose your right to vote under Virginia's constitution. But Governor Kaine has the power to restore those rights. Felons convicted of nonviolent crimes can apply to have their rights restored three years after finishing their sentence, as long as they have a clean record. But if they've been convicted of violent felonies then they have to wait 5 years.
Bonnie Breakley falls under the second category. In 1973, he shot a man living above him inside a rented home. Bonnie says it was self defense and that the man survived. He believes he should be able to vote.
Bonnie Breakley, Convicted Felon - "I haven't been in no trouble or nothing, not even a code fine or nothin. I think it’s about time, cuz it’s been a long time since 1973 up to now."
Rachael Klarman, Virginia Organizing Project - "If a system disregards you, you're a lot more likely to disregard the system and I think if we gave people their rights to vote back, they'd have a lot less second, third time felons and it seems like the right thing to do after people have paid the time for their crime, they should be fully reinstated into the community."
The governor's office says they'll try to get the applications processed in time for the Presidential election. That's if convicted felons get their forms in by August 1st.
Talkback: Restoring Felons’ Rights
jailor172
3:15 pm on 07/11/08
Well all Bonnie has to do is file the paperwork. It has been more than 5 years in his case. If he need help let me know.
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