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Florida Rights Restoration Coalition to Offer Workshops in Escambia County for Disenfranchised Voters

For Immediate Release:
April 7, 2006

Contacts:
Susan Watson, Northwest Florida Regional Director, ACLU of Florida, 850.429.9128
Brandon Hensler, Communications Director, ACLU of Florida, 305.576.2337, x 16

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The long and arduous path to restore fundamental civil rights for people with a past felony conviction is becoming a bit easier to navigate in Escambia County.

On April 22, the members of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition will assist former felons who wish to have their civil rights restored, including the right to vote. The Rights Restoration workshop will be held on the fourth Saturday of every month at the Downtown Branch of the West Florida Regional Library, 200 W. Gregory Street, Pensacola, FL.

Linda Armacost, chair of the Panhandle Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, states that “many former felons have longed for the opportunity to be counted as whole citizens and have their rights restored, they simply don't know where to begin.”

Florida is one of only three states that strips people of their civil and voting rights following conviction of a felony, even after completion of their sentences. Loss of civil rights takes away not only the right to vote, but also the right to hold state licenses necessary for many jobs. In order to restore those rights, citizens with past felony convictions must complete a "Restoration of Civil Rights" (RCR) application. The entire process is complicated and can take years to complete. Even then, there is no guarantee that an applicant's rights will be restored. There are currently over 600,000 ex-felons living in Florida, and the backlog of uninvestigated clemency cases rose to 13,329 as of February, 2006.

The NAACP, ACLU of Florida, Movement for Change and the league of Women Voters are part of a coalition of nearly 40 local, state and national organizations that are assisting former felons with the rights restoration process.

For more information call 850.429.9128 or visit: www.aclufl.org/issues/voting_rights/

• Who: Anyone with a prior Felony Conviction
• What: Rights Restoration Workshop
• When: Saturday, April 22, 2006, 2-4 PM
• Where: West Florida Regional Library meeting room, 200 W Gregory Street, Pensacola, FL
• Why: Start the process of getting your Civil Rights Restored

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