With Voting Chains Unshackled, Trusting the “System” Proves Second Hurdle
By Jagada Chambers
During the 80th legislative session in Nevada, state legislators made good on a quest that dates back decades. Efforts to change the reality for Nevada’s disenfranchised voters succeeded with the passing of Assembly Bill 431. The bill enabled all formerly incarcerated individuals to partake in our election process by casting a vote. The legislation changed the course of my life immediately, leading to a Rights Restoration Coordinator position with Silver State Voices and substantiation in my belief that voting can change things.
The insecurities that I carried being formerly incarcerated, signing documentation mere hours before my release stating I accepted the fact that I had forfeited my right to vote are real. Changing my state of residence changed my voting permissions. I was actually able to vote, but only became aware during investment in a pivotal mayoral campaign in which I discovered the news. For me, it was too good to be true, but for so many of the men that I encountered during last election season, registering to vote was just too close to the trauma experienced in the “system.”
Asking any human on the street for their name, address, and social security number is a little alarming, try asking someone who just completed a dozen years of parole. The last thing they want to do is take a chance on violating their freedom by registering to vote. Assuring our brothers who have returned to society that legally, they are able to participate will undoubtedly be our steepest challenge.
Getting folks to see the benefits, or potential for positive change in our communities, is a lot easier than assuring people that the State of Nevada Parole and Probation is not going to open up a parole violation for partaking in the most important form of civic engagement. It’s obvious that some of these barriers could be removed with documentation from Parole and Probation or by the Nevada Department of Corrections, but that was not something I could wait on.
So like the fall of 2020, I will be back in front of Parole and Probation, handing out flyers to folks who are entering and exiting the building. Letting them know you can vote. Letting them know a second time, yes you can vote (no one believes it the first time, you have to say it twice). Educating our folks on the importance of voting, the historical context of voting and the tangible expectations to have after registering to vote.
Nevada will have a host of important electoral races again this season. Our State’s Governor position will be on the ballot as well as the District Attorney’s race here in Clark County. For the formerly incarcerated folks who are no longer in custody, they all have a personal relationship with the District Attorney’s office. The office is the ENTRY WAY to the criminal legal system and the office where so many of our lives have rested in the balance. The office is undeniably important to all directly impacted communities; my task is making sure our folks know that now, they will have a voice in who holds the top spot.
Jagada Chambers participated in the March 31, 2021, Nevada Humanities Why It Matters: Restoring Voting Rights in Nevada event. You can watch a replay of this conversation HERE.
Photo/Jagada Chambers.
Jagada Chambers attended Delta College and Butte Community College (Oroville, California) where he played baseball before transferring to MacMurray College (Jacksonville, Illinois) to continue as a student-athlete. During spring break vacation his senior year, Chambers was charged and later convicted of a violent felony which led to a 64.8-month sentence to the care and custody of the Florida Department of Corrections. He was a professional sports journalist, but walked away from that profession to travel as a motivational speaker warning college student of the dangers of spring break and visiting the prison systems promoting a positive release into society. Chambers is currently a fellow with the Mass Liberation Project and the Rights Restoration Coordinator at Silver State Voices. He lives in Las Vegas and is a loving father of son Jyriaun and husband to wife Dawn. Chambers authored the novel, Based on a True Story, which is the first of a three-part series, an honest reflection of a life-changing situation for all involved.
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