Advocates promote voting for ex-inmates

Returning Citizens Movement opens new office

After ten years of operation, the Returning Citizens Voters Movement has formally opened a new office at 3956 N. Fifth Street.

The RCVM, a coalition of seventeen organizations, seeks to register 10,000 new voters who were formerly confined in local, state or federal prisons.

According to some estimates, approximately 300,000 ex-offenders, who prefer to be referred to as “returning citizens,” currently reside in Philadelphia. A substantial number of those returning citizens are either unaware of their right to vote in Pennsylvania or have failed to register for other reasons.

“Today we are opening this office to help people like ourselves — who need jobs and a place to do their resumes, and to particularly register them to vote,” said Frederica Hoffman, office manager for the Returning Citizens movement.

Visitors will have access to four computer terminals, which will be available to members of the community in need of computer and Internet access to seek employment or create resumes. HIV/AIDS testing and education will also be provided on site.

“There are actually three different offices, and a place for four people to use computers at the same time,” said Hoffman, who said that the movement needed a site where they could register voters.

According to Richard “Tut” Carter of the Human Rights Coalition (HRC), the movement includes the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which works closely with returning citizens who have been released from prison, as well as those currently confined who have yet to regain their freedom.

“The lead of this organization is people who have been formerly incarcerated, formerly convicted people,” said Carter. “We are going to have an ongoing campaign to keep this going.”

While the right to vote has obvious political implications, Carter says that participating in the democratic process may also have beneficial social effects by reducing recidivism.

“We know from research which we received from around the country that when people get civically engaged and participate in voting projects, they are least likely to return to a life of crime,” says Carter.

According to Carter, there are 200,000 to 400,000 Philadelphians who are formerly convicted persons.

“That means that out of a million and a half people, almost a third of the population [of Philadelphia] is people who are actually coming out of prison,” said Carter. “What we want to be able to do is galvanize that voter’s power and take our pleas to legislators, lawmakers and city government to ask for more resources to help those returning from prison.”

State Rep. Tony Payton Jr., who also attended the grand opening, donated a copy machine to the organization.

“They are doing the important work of letting folks know that they need to be registered to vote and need to participate,” said Payton, in whose legislative district the new office is located. “The reality is that this population [of returning citizens] is the only population that can be legally discriminated against.”

A founding member of the Returning Citizens Voters Movement, Malissa Gamble, has long been an advocate for the rights of returning citizens, and recognized the need for a central location.

“We were going around in the community letting our voices be heard, and telling people to look for the Returning Citizens Voters Movement,” said Gamble about the early days of the movement. “But where were they going to find us? So we needed a location and we found one.”

Activist and radio host of WURD 900’s ‘Living Islam’, Hakim Ali, emceed the day’s program and said that returning citizens could send a powerful message to politicians.

“Sometimes we don’t recognize the power that we have,” said Ali. “There are approximately 10,000 available votes in the city of Philadelphia that could be a major blow against politicians who are not trying to work toward making it better for returning citizens.”

Readers who wish to learn more information about the Returning Citizens Voters Movement, should call Frederica Hoffman at 215-626-3662.