Forgotten Voters
Volunteering at Boaz and Ruth in Highland Park has been both a trying and rewarding experience. Boaz and Ruth is a program for ex convicts to integrate back into society and obtain the skills they need to hold a job. Even though they have paid their debt to society, they cannot find jobs and many have no money for a place to live. Many employers believe that the ex offenders may be a repeat offenders and this is a perception that the program participants deal with all the time. Politicians rarely address the issues they face unless the discussion is negative. Incarceration causes a cycle to form in their lives because they are unable to get a job to support themselves, forcing them to engage in criminal behavior once again to stay alive.
Though they are experiencing many issues, this election could potentially be a turning point. At the last group meeting I attended, one woman stood and spoke about her excitement about becoming a registered voter for the first time. She was so excited to have the right that make Americans do not appreciate. Given the hype surrounding this year’s presidential election, many ex offenders decided to research their assumed lose of voting rights. Across the country, news reports show an increase in the number of registered ex offenders. I hope that the increased activity and visibility of offenders will spark an increase in the number of programs like Boaz and Ruth so that they will not be forgotten any longer.