The Criminal Justice Consequences of Voter Suppression on Communities of Color

• In Event: The Law's Impact on Private Lives at the Boundaries of the Criminal Justice System

Abstract

Historically, restrictive voting practices have been utilized to undermine the interest of communities of color with dire consequences for adverse public and criminal justice policies. Over the past two decades, voter suppression has evolved to include stringent voter identification laws, purging voter rolls, and registration limitations. The proliferation of voter restriction bills following the Shelby County decision raises concerns about voter suppression that impacts all Americans but places a special burden on communities of color. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the criminal justice impact of efforts to disenfranchise Black and Brown communities through contemporary voter suppression efforts. It is important to note that felon disenfranchisement is only one of the historical and contemporary ploys to undermine the voting strength communities of color. Here we conduct a qualitative analysis of supreme court cases, legislative bills, and state statutes to determine the extent to which current voter restrictions disproportionately disenfranchise Black and Brown communities. `Results indicate that present-day tactics are likely to further disenfranchise communities of color. Without the vote, communities of color are stripped of their constitutional right to choose leaders who represent their interests, particularly those who would advocate racially neutral criminal justice policies and statutes.

Authors

• Justice Evans, The Graduate Center

• Frank Pezzella, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY