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The measure,
authored by Democrat Shirley N. Weber, which now goes to
Governor Jerry Brown, aims to clear up confusion over the right
to vote for felons who were transferred from state prisons to
county jails under a reform program known as realignment.
The restoration of voting rights has drawn support across the
country from both Democrats and Republicans as a way to improve
prisoners' reintegration into society.
Advocates contend it is also a way of promoting racial justice,
as African-Americans are convicted of crimes and sent to prison
at about twice the rate of the overall U.S. population.
Weber said that the bill standardizes and clarifies practices
throughout the state to ensure that felons under the formal
jurisdiction of county jails and probation departments will be
able to vote, she said.
Inmates serving sentences in state prisons will still be barred
from voting in California. Those who are held by counties under
contracts and still considered to be state prisoners will not be
affected by the new law.
California has made several changes to its prison and sentencing
policies in recent years, including shifting thousands of
inmates to local facilities and probation departments under the
2011 realignment plan.
(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Alan Crosby)
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