248843 Felon Disenfranchisement in the United States: A Health Equity Perspective

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Jonathan Purtle, MPH, MSc , Department of Health Management & Policy, Drexel University School of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA
The discriminating effect and adverse health consequences of mass incarceration in African American communities is well documented; yet felon disenfranchisement policies have remained unexamined from a health perspective. Approximately 13% of African American males are currently unable to vote due to a felony conviction—a form of institutionalized racism which produces reverberating consequences for community health and well-being.

I utilized ecosocial theory and a health and human rights approach to construct a theoretic framework and explore pathways through which felon disenfranchisement policies impact health and perpetuate disparities in the United States. A systematic review of research from the fields of neuroscience, social psychology, public health, and sociology was conducted and two prospective pathways were identified: 1) inequitable public policies, and 2) deleterious psychosocial mechanisms. Skewed public policies may differentially allocate resources for health, such as social services and health promoting infrastructure, away from African American communities where disproportionately large segments of the population are unable to vote. As disenfranchisement unequivocally limits one's ability to exercise control over their environment and fully participate in community life, it may evoke feeling of hopelessness and social exclusion—affective states that can be deleterious over time and manifest in physiological changes.

This presentation will elucidate how felon disenfranchisement policies are a form of institutionalized racism and contributing factor to racial health disparities. It will provide historical context, a conceptual framework, and practical strategies for health workers interested in promoting community health and reducing health disparities through policy interventions which address social determinants of health.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1.Describe the historical circumstances that gave rise to felon disenfranchisement policies in the post-Civil War era and processes through which they have become a form of institutionalized racism. 2.Explain pathways through which felon disenfranchisement policies contribute to adverse health outcomes at individual and community levels and contribute to health disparities. 3. Discuss advocacy, policy, and programmatic strategies to ameliorate and eliminate the adverse health effects associated with felon disenfranchisement policies.

Keywords: Incarceration, Community Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present because I oversaw the research project and have been working in the field of racial/ethnic health disparities and cultural competence for nearly five years. I have published/presented on similar topics at regional and national conferences, including the Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Conference. I work as a Research Program Manager in the School and am a DrPH student in Health Policy & Social Justice.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.