Yeah right kid. ELECT HIM and THEN find out if he has a workable plan. DUH. No wonder you're in trouble with the law.
"What's the matter? MOMMY AND DADDY DID NOT PAY ENOUGH ATTENTION TO YOU!"
Posted on 10/15/2004 6:09:20 AM PDT by Happy Valley Dude
Cheshire— With a swish of the curtain and the crank of a lever, 19-year-old Raymond Barnes cast his vote for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry Thursday inside a voting booth at a prison for young offenders.
“Bush isn't really living up to doing what he was saying,” Barnes said. “Kerry keeps saying he's going to have a plan. I want to see if he does.”
Barnes was one of about 130 juvenile offenders jailed at Manson Youth Institution who participated in a mock election. One by one, the young men in tan jumpsuits lined up to take their turn at pulling the lever.
The election, which Kerry won 93 to 40, wrapped up an 11-week educational program on the political process that organizers hope will encourage the men to vote when they leave prison. The program taught about the history of the political parties, how to register to vote, and their rights under state voting laws. Inmates also analyzed the issues, debating about the economy, abortion rights, and the war in Iraq.
For David Donatello, 19, the war was the most important issue in the race.
“Bush doesn't have a plan to finish out the war,” he said, shortly after casting his vote for Kerry. “My friend's over there. I just see a bunch of kids fighting in Iraq for nothing.”
Michael Rosado, 19, voted for Bush.
“I like his style. He has stuff in control,” he said.
Prison officials tried to make the mock election realistic. Inmates had to fill out a form and register to vote at least 14 days before Election Day, in accordance with state law. They checked in with clerks at their polling place, then proceeded to real lever-style voting machines, on loan from Southington.
Organizers hope the program encourages the prisoners, who are between 14 and 20 years old, to register once they have served their time. Lawmakers changed state voting laws in 2001 to permit those convicted of felonies and sentenced to probation to register to vote, and to clarify that convicted felons who are sentenced to prison and parole can restore their rights after leaving.
Lynette Parker, a teacher at the prison's school, said she created the program four years ago as part of a citizenship and civics lesson. She also wanted to make sure that the youths understood their voting rights.
“We try to let them know that in order to be a productive citizen, in order to help their community, they have to be involved,” she said.
Many of the youths already come from families or communities that don't use the political system, experts say. Many have never seen a family member vote. Helping them to understand the voting process — and encouraging them to vote — is the first step to encouraging them to become active citizens when they leave, said Gabe Riccio, the school principal.
“A lot of our students have never felt confident they have the ability to make important changes in their community. We hope to change that,” he said.
It's not clear how many ex-convicts restore their voting rights after leaving prison. A coalition of community groups has been working with the Department of Correction to reach out to released adult prisoners, probationers and their families to register them to vote before the presidential election. Joyce Hamilton, executive director of Democracy Works, said the group has registered 13,300 people.
The mock election program is an important part of the rehabilitative process, said Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz. While each inmate in the state system receives information about restoring voting rights when they leave prison, many are still confused about whether or not they can vote, she said.
“If you think about preparing young people to be active and productive citizens, there's no more basic lesson to be learned than that in participating in the art of civics,” Bysiewicz said.
Barnes said he hopes to register when he gets out. And even though his “vote” Thursday didn't count, he was proud of it. He grinned as he held up his prison identification badge to show off a little white sticker that read, “I voted today.”
Young Democrats?
Excellent reason to vote for him! Wonder how this guy became a Juvenile Offender. "That store owner says he sleeps there at night, with a shotgun, to catch burglars. I want to see if he does ..."
I saw R. Lee Ermey here at the Pentagon a while back all dressed up in his Gunny Charlies. He was standing there talking to people with a smile on his face - and I was still intimidated by that man!
And I'm bigger than he is...
New London, CT is the location.
It's right across the street from the Dahmer School of Culinary Arts.
Criminals are always for democrats --- interesting . no?
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