Press Releases

CONTACT:
Kim Alton
202) 662-8317

Pamela Weddington,
VP of Communications
Motivational Educational Entertainment
(215) 829-4920; MEEComm@aol.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 3, 2004

Campaign To Alert Ex-Offenders of Voting Rights Kicks Off in ILLINOIS, LOUISIANA, AND SOUTH CAROLINA

WASHINGTON, DC — A new campaign is being launched to clear up confusion and raise awareness about what it takes to reinstate the voting rights of men and women who have served time in prison. Led by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (LCCRUL) and MEE (Motivational Educational Entertainment), the community education and media campaign targets people of color in three states: Illinois, Louisiana and South Carolina. The goal is to increase the number of ex-offenders who register and vote in the November general elections.

The campaign will disseminate its message — “You’ve Paid Your Debt to Society...Now Collect on Your Right to Vote” — using print materials, radio commercials on top R&B/urban- format stations, grassroots community outreach (including Black talk radio) and a toll-free hotline (1-800-294-5229) where people can get more information about what they need to do in order to be able to vote. The campaign’s goal is to motivate ex-offenders to participate in our political system — and ultimately, in society at large.

Unfortunately, many ex-offenders are unaware that in most states, they have the right to vote once they have completed their sentence or have completed their probation and parole. “When we went into the community and talked to ex-offenders, most of them had no idea they were eligible to register or re-register to vote, either because of what they were told or because of what they had heard,” said MEE President Ivan Juzang. “We want them to know exactly what their state’s laws are and motivate them to take control of their own destiny, by participating in the election process at the local, state and national level.”

“This educational campaign complements the voting rights activities of the Lawyers’ Committee by providing ex-offenders with important information about their rights so that they can participate in the political process and reintegrate into society as full citizens,” said Barbara R. Arnwine, Executive Director of the Lawyers' Committee.

African American communities are disproportionately affected by the disenfranchisement of criminal offenders, leaving 13% of all African American men ineligible. While several states forever deny the right to vote to anyone with a felony conviction, this first phase of what is hoped to become a national campaign, targets states in which the re-enfranchisement process is relatively simple. Said Juzang, “These men and women really want to exercise their right to vote, for various reasons. Voting is a key step in their recovery and re-entry process. It’s one more way to put their past behind them and turn their lives around.”

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is a Washington, DC-based organization dedicated to using the law to obtain equal opportunity for minorities by addressing factors that contribute to racial justice and economic opportunity. It marshals the pro bono resources of the bar for litigation, public policy advocacy, and other forms of service by lawyers to the cause of civil rights. This non-profit, non-partisan organization is also a key partner in the Election Protection coalition that is addressing voter intimidation at the polls in the November elections.

MEE Productions Inc. is an internationally recognized communications and research firm that develops socially responsible, research-based communications strategies targeting urban and ethnic audiences and low-income youth. A particular mission since its founding in 1991 has been to reach, understand and positively affect youth living in at-risk environments, through pro-social messages. The company has offices in Philadelphia, Washington, DC and Los Angeles.

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