A new report by The Sentencing Project, “The Vanishing Black Electorate: Felony Disenfranchisement in Atlanta, Georgia,” examines the racial effects of depriving citizens of voting rights because of criminal convictions. The report reveals sharp disparities in voting eligibility by race and neighborhood. Among the report’s key findings are the following:

  • One out of every seven African American males in Atlanta is disenfranchised as a result of a felony conviction;
  • One-third of the black male disenfranchisement rate in Georgia is a result of drug offense convictions;
  • Black males in Atlanta are registered to vote at an 11% lower rate than other demographic groups, but more than two-thirds of this differential is a result of high rate of disenfranchisement.
The report also contains a series of recommendations for change in criminal justice policy and disenfranchisement practices that would close the racial gap in voter registration and result in greater electoral participation. (“The Vanishing Black Electorate: Felony Disenfranchisement in Atlanta, Georgia,” The Sentencing Project, September 2004; Washington Post, Sept. 23, 2004) In many cases, disenfranchisement can also affect jury composition in capital cases. See Resources.
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