News & Commentary

With early voting now underway in Ohio, the potential that marijuana may be legalized remains the hottest political topic in our state. With Colorado reporting sales of $100 million in just the last month, it’s ensured that legalization will remain on peoples’ minds here and everywhere else. Seemingly lost among the debate is a related effort by Responsible Ohio, the group behind Issue 3. It’s known as the Fresh Start Act.  The idea is this: if Ohio voters approve Issue 3 then the Fresh Start Act will allow those who ran afoul of various marijuana laws to petition to have their records expunged. A successful expungement essentially means life continues as if the offense never occurred, at least in the eyes of the court.

I recently joined a delegation from the Women of Color Foundation for its first annual Leadership Symposium-Prison Outreach Initiative to participate in a daylong conference with about 250 incarcerated women at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville. In a large assembly-style room, we were greeted with a beautiful banner and mural that was painted by some resident artists. First on the agenda, I led an interactive session about the voting rights for people with criminal convictions. Pop Quiz on Voting My opening question to the women was, “How many of you have voted in the past?” The majority of the women raised their hands. When I asked if they could vote upon release from prison some were unsure. Before we discussed what Ohio law permits we talked through why voting is important. Elected officials decide what is criminal and what is not, how schools are be funded, whether or not counties will have diversion programs, whether people get probation or jail time, among other things.