In a recent Washington State House committee hearing , an unusual scene unfolded: prisoners, clad in tan uniforms, testifying, some calling themselves victims rather than perpetrators of crimes.
The convicted felons were testifying on House Bill 2030 , a proposal aiming to reinstate felons’ rights, including the right to vote, serve on juries, and run for office ― all while incarcerated.
The bill allows anyone incarcerated in a state prison to vote and sit on a jury. Worse yet, if passed, prisoners currently serving felony sentences could sit on a juror panel for charges similar to those for which they are serving a prison sentence.
Proponents of HB 2030 tout it as a means of rehabilitation. Wrong: It’s a misguided idea that disregards the continuing suffering of victims and their families while challenging the very foundation of justice.
Would you trust Gary Ridgway, the infamous Green River Killer , to serve on the jury of the abuser who victimized you or your family?
Under this bill, felons like Ridgway, responsible for killing at least 49 teenage girls and women in Washington (denying them their lives and voting rights), could serve on a jury, vote in an election or run for office — a notion that defies common sense and trivializes the severity of his actions.