Restrictions on the Citizenship Rights of Felons: Barriers to Successful Reintegration

Abstract

Felon disenfranchisement is unique to the United States, as our nation is one of the last democratice countries to permit this type of restriction on felons. The right to vote, hold public office, and serve on a grand jury or trial jury are civil rights that are limited by statutes which restrict the citizenship rights of felons. Limitations on these citizenship rights, sometimes referred to as the "collateral consequences" of a criminal conviction, impact the administration of justice in a myriad of ways. In this research, we explore how states limit these rights and whether these rights are more or less restricted by states in certain regions of the country and whether the political composition of the state is associated with the denial or granting of such rights.