REFORMED CONS DESERVE RIGHTS

Thanks to Florida Today's editors for weighing in on the restoration
of rights for ex-felons in Florida. The state's taxpayers should be
outraged over the disenfranchisement that has occurred.

The average citizen would be amazed at how many actions are legally
classified as felonies. Our dollars pay to house offenders -- most
often for nonviolent crimes and pay to retrain felons in barber skills
or air conditioning repair. Then, disenfranchisement prevents them
from holding state licenses for the very thing we trained them to do.

If the citizens of Florida really looked at our criminal justice
system, they would demand alternative sentencing programs, better
public education, more rehabilitation for offenders and automatic
restoration of rights upon completion of their sentences.

JODI JAMES

Executive Director, Florida Cannabis Action Network

Melbourne