You’ll find about 746,000 people in jail at any given moment.

At least 70% of them haven’t been convicted of any crime. Often, they’re there because they can’t afford to pay bail.

(Both stats as of this writing.)

*A ballot jail cell | Created by Jay W. Austin & DALL•E*

Of those who have been convicted, most are serving sentences for misdemeanors.

Here’s what I’m trying to say: almost everyone in jail can vote.

But they don’t.

The incredible researchers at The Prison Policy Institute went into depth about why they don’t.

(Btw, JWA sends a monthly donation to PPI because nobody dives deeper and explains clearer. You can donate like I do.)

Here’s a brief rundown of some of the reasons:

People are confused about their eligibility
Some are told they can’t vote
It can be difficult to register
Some don’t have qualifying ID’s needed to register, sometimes because their personal property is confiscated when they’re booked
Like many, they don’t believe voting is for them

These conditions lead to a de facto disenfranchisement of people in jail.

The reality of the situation does not match the reality of the law.

A voteless people is a voiceless people.

If you’re still wondering if this is by design, take your time to wander.

You’ll stumble across it eventually.

Aye, I’m Jay. You’re on my personal site where I post things I make about interrupting mass incarceration, protecting migration, environmental justice & sustainability, language, communications, storytelling, creativity, and tech.

Learn about my ventures here, check out my non-profit initiative here, or explore my consultant services here.