We paid our debt to society behind bars. Now our votes deserve to be counted | Opinion

As a kid, I made some mistakes that got me caught up in the school-to-prison-pipeline, trapping me in a justice system with lifelong consequences. I entered the revolving door of the American criminal legal system at just 12 years old, spending the following 21 years in and out of jail and prison. Ultimately, I served a seven-year sentence in Florida, where I now reside.

I got out in 2006, ready to make a change, but I still found myself trapped in a paper prison. Among the many ways that people like me have long been held back and disconnected from our communities, one has always stuck out: my right to vote.

Ensuring that the voices of a large voting bloc with lived experiences are heard at the polls is more important than ever. And along with millions of formerly incarcerated people across the country, I have something of tremendous value to contribute to our civic discourse.

The right to vote is the most powerful tool we have as Americans to change the systems that dictate our lives. Last year, 4.6 million Americans across 48 states were disenfranchised because of felony convictions. If you’ve completed the terms of your sentence, there’s no reason to continue to separate members of our community from rights that keep them connected and engaged with their communities.

To correct this injustice, the Formerly Incarcerated, Convicted People and Families Movement, or FICPFM, is working across the country, and right here in Kentucky, to increase civic participation among formerly incarcerated people who have had their rights restored.

As of 2019, 38% of Kentuckians and 60% of Black Kentuckians had a criminal record. That same year, Gov. Andy Beshear restored voting rights for formerly incarcerated Kentuckians. Today, over 89,000 are registered to vote, but there’s some speculation that the outcome of this November’s gubernatorial election could once again see those rights taken away. No matter what happens in the future, this election presents a critical opportunity for previously convicted or incarcerated Kentuckians to make their voices heard at the polls.

In October, FICPFM launched our “Free the Vote” campaign in downtown Louisville, in front of the arena where Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech on the power of the voting back in August 1960. We announced our sprawling statewide billboard campaign encouraging 145,000 registered voters who are formerly incarcerated to go to the polls.

That morning we heard from previously incarcerated Kentuckians, such as Kim George, a nurse who fell victim to the opioid epidemic and lost control of her life. George served her time and fought for her recovery. She’ll freely admit that her ability to vote was inconsequential before she became justice involved, but today she knows she’s worthy of having her vote counted.

“I am somebody. I matter,” she told the crowd in Louisville. “I’m a person who is a contributing member to society. I deserve to be more than just a number or a problem that you see.”

And for the first time in her life, Ms. George will be voting this November.

Wondering if you can join us at the polls in your state this November? Go to ficpfm.org/can-I-vote to find out.

In 2006, I was released from federal prison. I was 33 years old. An associate, a bachelor’s and a master’s degree later, I got to work to dismantle a system that has prevented equitable civic participation. My story, like that of so many formerly incarcerated people, isn’t just a story of redemption — it’s the story of someone who has fought to restore his right to vote, and be heard.

David Ayala is the executive director of the Formerly Incarcerated, Convicted People and Families Movement.

This story was originally published November 7, 2023 at 7:30 AM with the headline "We paid our debt to society behind bars. Now our votes deserve to be counted | Opinion."