On election night, Craig Muhammad plans not to fixate on television coverage. His focus remains on the work he began in prison, acting as a mediator within the community violence prevention sector. Muhammad, who recently returned home after 42 years in the Maryland prison system, felt nervous yet excited as he held an unmarked ballot, acknowledging that this was his first voting experience at the age of 64.
Despite observing various presidential administrations and shifting political climates, Muhammad only now participates in the voting process. In late September, he registered and cast his vote in the 2024 election. After leaving a polling station in Baltimore, he described the experience as unexpectedly straightforward and expressed his eagerness to share the milestone with his sister.
Muhammad plans to continue his community efforts regardless of the election outcome, suggesting both candidates desire safer communities. At his sister’s residence, he elaborated on his emotional and empowering experience, now committed to encouraging others to vote in upcoming elections. He represents a group of former prisoners eligible to vote in many states, amidst a landscape where felony disenfranchisement laws prevent some former inmates from voting entirely.
Elizabeth Shatswell, after serving 23 years in prison, discovered her voting eligibility by chance. Now a correctional education manager, she emphasizes voting as a reclamation of autonomy she lacked during her sentence. Shatswell, originally from Virginia—a state with voting restrictions for ex-felons—feels honored to vote on behalf of those still disenfranchised.
Johnny Le’Dell Pippins, recently granted clemency in Illinois, faces similar voting prohibitions in Iowa, pointing to systemic disenfranchisement’s intergenerational effects. Despite educational achievements and ongoing doctoral studies, he remains politically engaged, observing that many incarcerated peers lacked voting interest, often due to familial disenfranchisement.
Formerly incarcerated individuals like Pippins frequently exhibit lower trust in government and are not homogeneous in political leanings, according to MIT professor Ariel White. A Marshall Project poll found varied political affiliations among the incarcerated, reflecting a broader electoral unpredictability within these communities.
Kunlyna Tauch, recently released in Los Angeles, voted for the first time, focusing on alignment of values rather than historical grievances against political figures like Vice President Harris. Tauch’s familial discussions reveal his father’s first voting experience, showcasing intergenerational empowerment through political participation.
This article, co-written by Charlotte West from Open Campus, explores the evolving engagement in civic processes among formerly incarcerated individuals, encapsulating personal journeys toward active citizenship.