Felon Disenfranchisement in the United States: A Health Equity Perspective

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.