| But states are blocking more would-be voters and more African Americans than ever. A graph of the number blocked over the last four decades looks like that of a strong bull market. In 1976, the number was less than 1.2 million. It rose sharply to 3.3 million in 1996, then increased to 6.1 million this year. Nine states disenfranchised at least 5 percent of their African American adults in 1980. Now, 23 do, according to the report. “African American disenfranchisement rates in Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia now exceed 20 percent of the adult voting age population,” the report said. “It is clear that disparities in the criminal justice system are linked to disparities in political representation.” Restrictions on former felons go well beyond voting. Meade, for example, cannot practice law because of his convictions. “These policies often exert a lifelong adverse impact on the socioeconomic life prospects of African Americans,” said Marc Mauer, executive director of the Sentencing Project. Last year, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) introduced the Civil Rights Voting Restoration Act, which would allow those convicted of nonviolent offenses to vote in federal elections unless they were incarcerated at the time of the vote. The report did not make any recommendations. But Mauer said disenfranchising people conflicts with democracy, even for those incarcerated. Yet he’s realistic and knows that getting the vote for those behind bars isn’t going to happen anytime soon — certainly not on a large scale, not in the United States. Many countries, however, allow prisoners to vote and others provide the franchise to those who have been released. At least permitting the formerly incarcerated to vote, Mauer said, “would reduce that stain on democracy.” Read more: [Obama, Congress push effort to ease hiring of people with records] [Report finds federal prisons held 152 inmates too long, one by almost three years] [The color of heroin addiction — why war then, treatment now?] | 