In this powerful episode, Avalon Betts-Gaston and VanKe’via explore the importance of improving public safety within the communities and emphasize the need for community connection for system-impacted people. Avalon provides a unique perspective on civic engagement, focusing on individuals as a whole rather than just their actions. Tune into learn more about the value of civic engagement for system-impacted people.

Interested in learning more about our guest:

Bluesky

Illinois Alliance for Reentry & Justice website

Instagram

X (Twitter)

Avalon Betts-Gaston on Voting Rights in Illinois

Interested in learning more about the racial roots of felony disenfranchisement:

Amazon Link- New Jim Crow Book

Netflix- 13TH

Interested in learning more about civic engagement and restorative justice:

Strengthening Communities: The Crucial Role of Restorative Justice in Community Safety

It’s time to unlock democracy for incarcerated Illinoisans

What is “Restorative Justice” and How Does it Impact Individuals Involved in Crime?

Want to register to vote or update your registration:

Check your Voter Registration Status

Connect with More Life: The Reentry Podcast:

Instagram: @morelifethereentrypodcast

Want to send us topic ideas or reach out to us? Complete the form: Topic Ideas Form

Are you formerly incarcerated and want to share your story? Complete this form: Resilient Reentrants Interest Form

Please listen, rate, and review. Thank you, More Life!

Host: VanKe’via Garner, M. S.

Produced by Trey Lokey

https://uppbeat.io/track/hartzmann/good-feelings

License Code:WWUKNN1ALHEZYUNF

In this episode, Nicole Porter and VanKe’via explore the current trends of criminal justice reform and the ongoing efforts towards expanding voting rights regardless of incarceration status. Nicole emphasizes the long-term impact of expanding voting access and ways to join the movement to help shape the future of democracy. Join us as we look ahead to the possibilities and challenges in restoring voting rights for system-impacted.

Want to learn more about Nicole Porter and her work:

Twitter

Biography - The Sentencing Project

The Sentencing Project Oregon Voting Rights Testimony 2023

Top Trends in Criminal Justice Reform, 2022

Nicole Porter: The movement to guarantee ballot access for people in jails and prisons

Out of Step: U.S. Policy on Voting Rights in Global Perspective

If you are interested in learning about the voter restoration and the legal system:

Increasing Public Safety by Restoring Voting Rights

The Impact of Felony Disenfranchisement Laws in the United States

Restore Voting Rights to Returning Citizens

Resources for Essential Reentry Services

Instagram: @morelifethereentrypodcast

Want to send us topic ideas or reach out to us? Complete the form: Topic Ideas Form

Are you formerly incarcerated and want to share your story? Complete this form: Resilient Reentrants Interest Form

Please listen, rate, and review. Thank you, More Life!

Host: VanKe’via Garner, M. S.

Produced by Trey Lokey

https://uppbeat.io/track/hartzmann/good-feelings

License Code:WWUKNN1ALHEZYUNF

In this episode, Dr. Justin Smith discussed social activism among formerly incarcerated and the effects of political participation on formerly incarcerated. Tune into learn more about the impact storytelling of release stories has on advocacy and civic engagement.

Interested in learning more about Dr. Justin Smith :

Western Kentucky University Professional Website

Interested in learning more about advocacy, civic engagement, and recidivism:

Just Leadership USA

All of Us or None Texas - Facebook

Fortune Society Organization

The Role of Community Partnerships in Reducing Recidivism

Thoughts Beyond Stigma-Implications for Change Reflected in the Voices of Previously Incarcerated Citizens

National Reentry Network For Returning Citizens

Want to register to vote or update your registration:

Check your Voter Registration Status

Register to Vote or Update your Registration

General Voting Rights & Civic Redemption resources:

Increasing Public Safety by Restoring Voting Rights

Resources for Essential Reentry Services

Connect with More Life: The Reentry Podcast:

Instagram: @morelifethereentrypodcast

Want to send us topic ideas or reach out to us? Complete the form: Topic Ideas Form

Are you formerly incarcerated and want to share your story? Complete this form: Resilient Reentrants Interest Form

Please listen, rate, and review. Thank you, More Life!

Host: VanKe’via Garner, M. S.

Produced by Trey Lokey

https://uppbeat.io/track/hartzmann/good-feelings

License Code:WWUKNN1ALHEZYUNF

In this episode, Brother Rahim Buford shares his personal experience with incarceration and its influence on his activism and ongoing efforts towards voter restoration. Brother Buford introduces us to his organization, Unheard Voices Outreach, and highlights the impact of the organization on his community. Tune in to learn more about how Brother Buford uses his experience to inspire others with similar stories to become civically involved.

If you are interested in learning more or connecting with Mr. Rahim Buford:

Unheard Voices Outreach Website Page

Mr. Rahim Buford's Instagram Page

Unheard Voices Outreach Instagram Page

Incarceration- Rahim B. - Video

UnChained Destiny Film Project - Video

Save Your Own Life: Choosing the right path is not always clear - Book

If you are interested in learning more about community involvement:

Get Involved in My Community

The Community Bill of Rights

Want to register to vote or update your registration:

Check your Voter Registration Status

Register to Vote or Update your Registration

General resources:

Increasing Public Safety by Restoring Voting Rights

Resources for Essential Reentry Services

Instagram: @morelifethereentrypodcast

Want to send us topic ideas or reach out to us? Complete the form: Topic Ideas Form

Are you formerly incarcerated and want to share your story? Complete this form: Resilient Reentrants Interest Form

Please listen, rate, and review. Thank you, More Life!

Host: VanKe’via Garner, M. S.

Produced by Trey Lokey

https://uppbeat.io/track/hartzmann/good-feelings

License Code:WWUKNN1ALHEZYUNF

In this episode, members of Chicago Votes (Touissant, Darrion, and Freddie) join VanKe’via to engage in a conversation about expanding voter access, empowering individuals through civic education, and reforming voting policies for system-impacted individuals. Throughout this discussion, Chicago Votes members emphasize the importance of being informed and the need to amplify the voices of those system-impacted. Tune into learn more about the power of civic education and realistic strategies to navigate the voting process.

Interested in connecting with Chicago Votes or Mud Theatre Project:

Instagram

Website

X (Twitter)

Facebook

Mud Theatre Project

Interested in learning about ballot information :

Sample Ballot Lookup

Ballot Information, Register to Vote, Polling Places Etc..

Legislative Information - Illinois

Civics Education Resources

Want to register to vote or update your registration:

Check your Voter Registration Status

Register to Vote or Update your Registration

General resources:

Increasing Public Safety by Restoring Voting Rights

Resources for Essential Reentry Services

Connect with More Life: The Reentry Podcast:

Instagram: @morelifethereentrypodcast

Want to send us topic ideas or reach out to us? Complete the form: Topic Ideas Form

Are you formerly incarcerated and want to share your story? Complete this form: Resilient Reentrants Interest Form

Please listen, rate, and review. Thank you, More Life!

Host: VanKe’via Garner, M. S.

Produced by Trey Lokey

https://uppbeat.io/track/hartzmann/good-feelings

License Code:WWUKNN1ALHEZYUNF

Dr. Marc Meredith and VanKe’via dive into the barriers that prohibit formerly incarcerated people from participating in the political process. In this episode, Dr. Marc Meredith explored voter turnout among formerly incarcerated and the systemic barriers that individuals may encounter when attempting to exercise their right to vote. Tune into to learn more about barriers to voting rights and ways to help remove barriers to voting for formerly incarcerated.

Interested in learning more about Mr. Marc Meredith :

X (Twitter)

Professional Website

Interested in learning more about the barriers to voting rights:

Voting Rights of the Formerly Incarcerated: Knowledge, Outreach…

Legal Financial Obligations: Debtor's Prison of the 21st Century

Collateral Consequences and the Enduring Nature of Punishment

Want to register to vote or update your registration:

Check your Voter Registration Status

Register to Vote or Update your Registration

General Voting Rights & Civic Redemption resources:

Increasing Public Safety by Restoring Voting Rights

Resources for Essential Reentry Services

Connect with More Life: The Reentry Podcast:

Instagram: @morelifethereentrypodcast

Want to send us topic ideas or reach out to us? Complete the form: Topic Ideas Form

Are you formerly incarcerated and want to share your story? Complete this form: Resilient Reentrants Interest Form

Please listen, rate, and review. Thank you, More Life!

Host: VanKe’via Garner, M. S.

Produced by Trey Lokey

https://uppbeat.io/track/hartzmann/good-feelings

License Code:WWUKNN1ALHEZYUNF

In this episode, Desmond Meade guides us on a journey of his personal experience towards restoration and his efforts to challenge disenfranchisement in the state of Florida. Throughout this conversation, Mr. Meade emphasizes the importance and impact of voting. Tune into this episode to hear a powerful story on the impact of felony disenfranchisement and how communities can continue to fight towards restoration in their own communities.

Interested in learning more about Desmond Meade and the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition:

Instagram Florida Rights Restore

Florida Rights Restoration Coalition

Website for Desmond Meade

Twitter

Interested in learning more about the voting with a felony conviction:

Restore Your Vote: I have a felony conviction. Can I Vote?

Guide to State Voting Rules That Apply After a Criminal Conviction

Formerly Incarcerated and Convicted People and Family Members Movement

Want to register to vote or update your registration:

Check your Voter Registration Status

Register to Vote or Update your Registration

General resources to read:

Increasing Public Safety by Restoring Voting Rights

Resources for Essential Reentry Services

Connect with More Life: The Reentry Podcast:

Instagram: @morelifethereentrypodcast

Want to send us topic ideas or reach out to us? Complete the form: Topic Ideas Form

Are you formerly incarcerated and want to share your story? Complete this form: Resilient Reentrants Interest Form

Please listen, rate, and review. Thank you, More Life!

Host: VanKe’via Garner, M. S.

Produced by Trey Lokey

https://uppbeat.io/track/hartzmann/good-feelings

License Code:WWUKNN1ALHEZYUNF

In this episode, Dr. Ron Hayduk and VanKe’via Garner dive into the complex intersection between noncitizen voting rights and the legal system. Throughout this discussion, Dr. Hayduk explores the challenges and legal frameworks that impact noncitizens’ ability to participate in civic processes and the broader implications for voting rights. Tune into this conversation to learn more about legal restrictions, the role of citizenship in voter eligibility, and ongoing debates surrounding potential reforms.

Interested in learning more about Dr. Ron Hayduk :

X (Twitter)

Professional Website

Interested in learning more about noncitizen voting:

Exploring The Complexities of “Alien Suffrage” in American Political History

Why Non-Citizens Should Be Allowed to Vote

Campaigns to Restore Immigrant Voting Rights in the US

Want to register to vote or update your registration:

Check your Voter Registration Status

Register to Vote or Update your Registration

General resources:

Increasing Public Safety by Restoring Voting Rights

Resources for Essential Reentry Services

Connect with More Life: The Reentry Podcast:

Instagram: @morelifethereentrypodcast

Want to send us topic ideas or reach out to us? Complete the form: Topic Ideas Form

Are you formerly incarcerated and want to share your story? Complete this form: Resilient Reentrants Interest Form

Please listen, rate, and review. Thank you, More Life!

Host: VanKe’via Garner, M. S.

Produced by Trey Lokey

https://uppbeat.io/track/hartzmann/good-feelings

License Code:WWUKNN1ALHEZYUNF

Dr. Christina Rivers and VanKe’via dive into the deeply intertwined racial history of felony disenfranchisement, exploring how laws designed to limit Black political power during Reconstruction continue to influence modern-day voting rights. The discussion uncovers the systemic barriers that persist and the need for reforms that promote justice and equity. Tune in to hear a powerful conversation that sheds light on the historical roots of disenfranchisement and its lasting impact on marginalized communities.

If you are interested in learning more about our guests work:

Dr. Rivers Professional Site

The Congressional Black Caucus, Minority Voting Rights, and the U.S. Supreme Court

Civil Death and the Execution of Democracy

If you are interested in learning more about felony disenfranchisement:

The Impact of Felony Disenfranchisement Laws in the United States

Jim Crow’s Lasting Legacy At The Ballot Box

Racism & Felony Disenfranchisement: An Intertwined History

Jail Based Voting - Denver

An Unlock Civics Documentary

Want to register to vote or update your registration:

Register to vote or update your registration

Check Your Voter Registration Status

Want to learn more about restoring voting rights:

Increasing Public Safety by Restoring Voting Rights

Instagram: @morelifethereentrypodcast

Want to send us topic ideas or reach out to us? Complete: Topic Ideas Form

Are you formerly incarcerated and want to share your story? Complete: Resilient Reentrants Interest Form

Please listen, rate, and review. Thank you, More Life!

Host: VanKe’via Garner, M. S.

Produced by Trey Lokey

https://uppbeat.io/track/hartzmann/good-feelings

License Code:WWUKNN1ALHEZYUNF

In this episode, VanKe’via led a conversation on the complexity of felony disenfranchisement and its impact on individuals of marginalized communities. The conversation dives into the historical roots of felony disenfranchisement in the United States and state-by-state restrictions. Tune in to gain an understanding of the origins of felony disenfranchisement laws and the last effects of felony disenfranchisement laws in modern society.

Please note: Locked Out 2022 is the correct title of the report mentioned in episode. The information provided is based on an integration of the following resources.

If you are interested in learning more about the origins of felony disenfranchisement:

Felony Disenfranchisement Explained

What Can We Learn From the History of Felony Disenfranchisement?

Locked Out 2022 Report

Felony Disenfranchisement Suppresses the Votes of Black and Latinx Americans

How Mississippi’s Jim Crow Laws Still Haunt Black Voters Today

Felony Disenfranchisement Laws (Map)

Additional information about voting rights:

Increasing Public Safety by Restoring Voting Rights

Find out everything you need to know to vote:

Register to vote or update your registration

Register to vote and find ballot information

Instagram: @morelifethereentrypodcast

Want to send us topic ideas or reach out to us? Complete: Topic Ideas Form

Are you formerly incarcerated and want to share your story? Complete: Resilient Reentrants Interest Form

Please listen, rate, and review. Thank you, More Life!

Host: VanKe’via Garner, M. S.

Produced by Trey Lokey

https://uppbeat.io/track/hartzmann/good-feelings

License Code:WWUKNN1ALHEZYUNF