One in four African-Americans has lost the right to vote FOR LIFE. That's over 300,000 people in this state who can't vote because of something they did maybe years ago, and for which they served time behind bars and/or paid restitution.
Kentucky is only one of two states that still do this.
Voting rights can be restored but only
for non-violent crimes
on petition to the Governor
on payment of $500 -- the most expensive in the country
after expungement of the conviction -- which can only be done for one conviction and only once in a lifetime
Fewer than 1,700 have had their rights restored in the past two years.
The former Democratic governor issued an executive order restoring voting rights to 140,000. The current Republican governor reversed that order.
2. "Felon" check box on job applications
By being required to answer "Have you ever been convicted of a felony", former felons who have done their time and/or paid their restitution are continually punished, in some cases decades after they have repaid their debt to society. Then we wonder why they can't get decent jobs, and re-punish them over and over and over.
3. Cash bail is a problem that affects only the poor.
When a poor person is accused of a crime (and it's so often a person of color), bail can be paid to get out of jail. But if the person can't afford the baill, he or she must stay in jail.
Staying in jail can result in loss of a job, a paycheck, loss of housing, a vehicle, getting behind on child support, and in general, can ruin a person's life.
Then, if the person is adjudicated not guilty, it's too late.
So we punish the poor basically for being poor, we cause them to lose everything, then we blame them for having lost everything.
This is not an issue the Roger Stones of this world have to face!
The Boyle County Genealogical and Historical Society, Inc, in conjunction with the Boyle County Public Library, will host Joe Keith Bickett, and his new book, "Cornbread Mafia: The Outlaws of Central Kentucky" at its February Meeting, Monday, Feb 18 at 6:00 PM at the Library.
Mr. Bickett was involved in, and convicted of involvement in, the largest marijuana growing operation in the US. The tentacles of this operation spread all over the eastern US, and are literally the stuff of legends. It seems that everyone I've talked to, and everyone who has talked about this, is interested -- from law-abiding little 80-year old ladies, to local law enforcement officials!
This will be quite a departure from our usual round of history and genealogy speakers!
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