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YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE

LEARN THE FACTS ABOUT RESTORING

YOUR

VOTING RIGHTS IN ALABAMA

"I PAID MY DEBTS TO SOCIETY, WHY CAN'T I HAVE MY RIGHTS BACK?

THE LAWS HAVE BEEN CHANGED AND NO ONE HAS INFORMED ME."

THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 17,000 CONVICTED FELONS IN THE STATE OF ALABAMA

WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO VOTE 

AND 

DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START.

YOU CAN START RIGHT HERE

As an American citizen you have the right to voice your opinion. Freedom of speech protects your right to express those values, even if that expression seems so simple and insignificant, to overlook the fact to be empowered for a moment to have the confidence, the knowledge to make a decision to change history for generations to come, like an obvious proposition that a citizen registering to vote or casting a ballot is engaging in free speech, the fundamental right of every American citizen. This is your voice, let it be heard and vote. Voter suppression does exist in Alabama. Some felons are wrongly being barred from voting. Officials and advocates say hundreds or even thousands of Alabama felons are wrongly being denied the right to vote like, Ms. Julie Coleman has felony drug crimes on her record, so she was surprised to learn earlier this year she has the right to vote in Alabama. But to her disappointment, after she tried to register, she received a letter from the county registrar’s office stating she was not eligible.


“I worked so hard to get my record expunged to be the person that I am today, ”Ms. Coleman said.“ It really made me feel like all my efforts were not good enough.” According to officials felons like Ms. Coleman are improperly being denied the right to vote across the state. “We’re still seeing pretty regular misinterpretations of the law by the registrars, and sometimes the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles and other officials, resulting in people getting their voting rights denied,” said Blair Bowie of the Campaign Legal Center, a Washington, D.C.- based group that advocates for voting rights. Thousands of felons won the right to vote following the passage of a state law in 2017 that narrowed the list of felony convictions that barred offenders from ever voting again.

 

But the implementation of that law has been piecemeal, with some county officials taking a proactive stance and registering hundreds of newly eligible people, while other county and state officials have at times hindered or blocked people with forgivable offenses from regaining the franchise. Ms. Coleman attended a faith-based recovery program for two years following convictions for drug distribution and possession. She is now a general manager in the food industry. “I went from being an addict to running a $2 million dollar a year store, so I have come a long way,” she stated.


After receiving her disqualification letter from Morgan County, Coleman sought the help of the Alabama League of Women Voters and the Campaign Legal Center to appeal the decision. In a written exchange with the advocacy groups, Adonis Bailey, the chairwoman of Morgan County’s Board of Registrars, wrote that she believed the law only applied to crimes committed after 2017. But the new list of disqualifying felonies is retroactive. It doesn’t matter when a crime was committed. Coleman appealed to the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles, which determined she was eligible. “For them to shut me down, it was pretty disappointing,” she said of her initial rejection. “It was a lot of time. It was a lot of just having to call this person, call that person. Look up this, look that up." Ms. Julie Coleman was ultimately able to register to vote in time for the 2020 general election. Many other felons remain wrongly barred from voting.

OUR MISSION

ALABAMA BUREAU of PARDONS​ and PAROLES

IS TO KEEP IT SIMPLE

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PAROLE AND PARDON?

PAROLE IS THE RELEASE FROM IMPRISONMENT AFTER SERVING THE MINIMUM  PENALTY IMPOSED UNDER THE INDETERMINATE SENTENCE

LAW ACT. PARDON ON THE OTHER HAND IS AN ACT OF GRACE OF THE PRESIDENT WHICH  EXEMPTS THE INDIVIDUAL ON

WHOM IT IS BESTOWED FROM PUNISHMENT WHICH THE LAW INFLICTS ON THE CRIME COMMITTED.


The mission of the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles is to promote and enhance public safety through

cooperation with the Legislature, the Court System, the Governor, the Department of Corrections,

other criminal justice agencies, victims, and the community by providing effective investigation,

supervision, and surveillance services in a holistic approach to rehabilitating adult criminal

offenders and facilitating their successful reentry to society as productive citizens.


EXERCISING ALABAMA’S CLEMENCY POWER TO ISSUE PARDONS AND RESTORE VOTING RIGHTS; SERVING AS ALABAMA'S

 PAROLE DECISION MAKING BODY FOR ADULT FELONY OFFENDERS SENTENCED TO STATE PRISON; PROVIDING STATEWIDE

SUPERVISION FOR ALABAMA’S ADULT FELONY PAROLE AND COURT ORDERED PROBATION POPULATION;

CONDUCTING PRE-SENTENCE INVESTIGATIONS FOR ALABAMA'S

COURT SYSTEM IN FELONY CONVICTIONS.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

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PARDON APPLICATION

1. You can fill out the application online.

2. You can Email it.

3. You can print out the completed application and  Fax it.

4. You can print out the completed application and mail it by the Unity States Postal Service.

Application form ABPP3 can be downloaded from www.pardons@paroles.alabama.gov

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CERV APPLICATION

Alabama lawmakers in 2017 clarified which crimes, under state law, should be considered “of moral turpitude. ”Ever since, only people who are impeached or convicted of treason automatically lose the right to vote for life. A conviction for any, of about a dozen additional felonies - serious crimes such as murder, rape and production of obscene matter results in permanent loss of voting rights unless the offender receives a pardon. More than two dozen additional crimes are considered crimes of moral turpitude, but do not require a pardon to restore voting rights. The changes allowed people long barred from voting to apply to once again cast a ballot. To qualify, they must complete any periods of incarceration, parole and probation, pay off all fines and fees with a zero balance, and have no pending criminal charges. you can then apply to the Board of Pardons and Paroles with a Certificate of Eligibility to Register to Vote application.

The (CERV) application form ABPP4 can be down loaded from www.pardons@paroles.alabama.gov

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GUIDELINES FOR ALABAMA VOTERS CONVICTED OF CRIMES

HANDOUT

REMISSION Of FINE AND/OR FORFEITURE APPLICATION

Alabama law allows convicted persons to apply for a remission of fines and/or forfeitures, subject to the procedures specified by law. These procedures give the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles the discretionary authority to grant or deny an application for a remission of fines and/or forfeitures.

Application form ABPP5 can be down loaded from www.pardons@paroles.alabama.gov

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WAIVER OF LIABILITY  AND AUTHORITY FOR RELEASE OF INFORMATION

I authorize the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles, or any authorized representative of the Bureau, to collect any and all information or records concern

Waiver Release From Liability form  can be down loaded from www.pardons@paroles.alabama.gov

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IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW YOUR DISTRICT, YOUR PRECINCT, AND KNOW THAT ALL YOUR PERSONAL VOTING INFORMATION IS CORRECT: YOUR NAME, YOUR PHYSICAL ADDRESS, YOUR DATE OF BIRTH, YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, YOUR DRIVER LICENSE NUMBER AND STATE, THE DATE OF EACH ELECTION AND THE TIME YOUR POLL OPEN AND CLOSE. BE AN EDUCATED VOTER, AND MOST OF ALL, DO NOT FORGET YOUR PHOTO ID.

MORE FACTS

Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) You will need to contact ALEA if you have any legal questions regarding the law, or to have something expunged from your file.

REMISSION Is handle by the State. NOTE: PLEASE FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLYING FOR A REMISSION OF FINE AND/OR FORFEITURE. Alabama law allows convicted persons to apply for a remission of fines and/or forfeitures, subject to the procedures specified by law. These procedures give the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles the discretionary authority to grant or deny an application for a remission of fines and/or forfeitures. Under Alabama law, the following persons may not apply for a remission of fine and/or forfeiture: persons convicted of treason and impeachment and persons sentenced to death and such sentence is not commuted. 


RESTITUTION Is handle by the court, and there may be some form of restitution required. There are three major types of restitution. Monetary Restitution can be payment to the victim for harm reasonably resulting from the offence, and can embody both monetary and inkind service to the victim. Community Service is the most common, especially among programs dealing with adults only. Direct Service is to the victims and is the rarest form of restitution, primarily because the victims generally prefer to avoid contact with the offenders. Parole Revocation Fines must be taken care of. A direct order from the court can order all three types of restitution to be paid in the same case. Note: you must have a zero balance, then you can proceed to the CERV form ABPP4.

IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE

ALEA

Alabama Law Enforcement Agency

Mailing Address

Post Office Box 1511

Montgomery, Alabama 36602-1511

Office Address

301 South Ripley Street

Email: alea.gov

334.353.3883 - 334.517.2800 -334.242.4259

Monday - Friday 8 am - 4:45 pm

www.alea.gov

Disclaimer: Please note this website and emails are not monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For emergencies, please contact your local law enforcement agency. The mission of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) is to efficiently provide quality service, information, protection, and safety for the State of Alabama Alabama through the utilization of consolidated law enforcement, investigative, and support services. 

ABPP

ALABAMA BUREAU of PARDONS​ and PAROLES

Headquarters

100 Capitol Commerce Blvd. Suit 310

​Montgomery, Alabama 36117

Email: questions@paroles.alabama.gov

334.353.7771 -  334.353.8067

Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

www.pardon@paroles.alabama.gov

Alabama Bureau of Pardon and Paroles Mobile Field Office

1514 South Board Street

Mobile,  Alabama 36605

Main: 251.433.0554 - Secretary: 251.433.0919 - Fax: 251.433.6387

Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Closed from 12:00 am - 1:00 pm

Field Office by City - Field Office by County

ACLU

American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama

Post Office Box 6179

Montgomery, Alabama 36106-0179

Email: info@aclualabama.org

334.265.2754

www.aclualabama.org

The American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama (ACLU) is neither a government agency nor a general legal services organization. Among the issues we work on are freedom of speech, freedom of religion, government-sponsored religious activities, privacy, discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation or disability, police misconduct, censorship in schools or libraries, fairness in application of school discipline, workplace privacy, access to government documents, inhumane jail and prison conditions, and other issues of fair treatment by government. In general, we do not handle cases that involve such things as evictions, landlord-tenant disputes, general disputes between employees and employers (for example, disputes centering on wages and hours), criminal prosecutions, divorce, child custody, or wills. We have limited resources and staff and are unable to pursue every case that comes to our attention.All requests for legal assistance must be submitted in writing. We do not do in-person interviews and we do not accept walk-in. Please Note: The ACLU does not have a public office for drop-in visits. The ACLU does not review requests for legal assistance in person, via email, social media, or over the telephone. To submit a complaint for consideration you must fill out our complaint form or send us a letter. This email address is for general questions or comments. Do not use the info email for legal questions or to request legal assistance.

LSA

Legal Services Alabama

Post Officer Box 20787

Montgomery, Alabama 36120

Email: info@legalservicesalabama.org

888.456.4995 English

888.835.3505 Espanol

Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

www.legalservicesalabama.org

Legal Services Alabama (LSA) has eight offices and a centralized Call Center, working together to fulfill its mission statement: To serve low-income people by providing civil legal aid and by promoting collaboration to find solutions to problems of poverty. These offices are located in Anniston, Gadsden, Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Selma and Tuscaloosa. LSA offices handle civil cases only. Each office has lawyers licensed to practice in Alabama and other staff who know how to help low-income people resolve their legal problems. To apply by phone, please call one of the eight LSA call centers.

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