But the effects of the criminal justice system on voting patterns go well beyond laws that literally strip people of their voting rights. According to research I recently conducted, even a misdemeanor charge leading to a short jail sentence — often of only a few days or weeks — can lead to a significant decrease in the likelihood of future voting. They faced jail sentences of up to a year but no loss of their voting rights. Researchers, not to mention people who have spent time in jail or know someone who has, already know quite a bit about the harsh effects that even short jail sentences have on people. My work suggests that we should also worry about jail’s political consequences, even in the case of short jail terms.

Source: Washington Post March 28, 2019 15:45 UTC