From: "Steve Freeman" <steven.f.freeman@verizon.net>
Subject: Felon disenfranchisement demographic data?
In-reply-to: <91bbb8bb05030622001ebc9d34@mail.gmail.com>
To: <election-law_gl@majordomo.lls.edu>
Reply-to: <sf@alum.mit.edu>
Message-id: <0IDI00ANT83R4BB0@vms048.mailsrvcs.net>


Hello all:

The many recent posts on felon disenfranchisement consisted of theoretical
arguments that seem to me to miss the underlying empirical reality.

Many of the states that disenfranchise felons, e.g., Florida, also seem to
have shockingly high felon conviction rates for blacks. I have heard that
something approaching one-third of all young black males in states such as
Florida and Iowa are convicted felons. If so, it would seem as though felon
disenfranchisement is but the latest guise of Jim Crow, wouldn't it?

Unfortunately, I have not been able to find hard numbers on the impact. Does
anyone know the actual demographics of  felon disenfranchisement?

--------------------------------------------------------------
Steven F. Freeman * Center for Organizational Dynamics * University of
Pennsylvania * (215) 898-6967 * Fax: (215) 898-8934 *
sffreeman@sas.upenn.edu * www.organizationaldynamics.upenn.edu/center *
www.appliedresearch.us/sf/