Did you know young adults age 18 and over in Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR) have the right to vote? Washington State dictates that any time a person is convicted of a felony they lose their right to vote until they are no longer under the authority of the Department of Corrections. However, that rule doesn’t apply to youth who were adjudicated as having committed felony offenses in juvenile court. Our partners at TeamChild have ensured the young adults in our care are aware of these rights and, as a result, many residents have shown interest and enthusiasm for voting in the 2020 elections.
More than 80 young adults in our facilities registered to vote this year. Voting materials, including rights, registration and voter pamphlets, were made available to eligible individuals. To support these youth, our community facilities transported participating residents to ballot drop boxes. Our institutions hosted small group learning sessions to educate youth on the voting process and a political science professor from South Puget Sound Community College facilitated three Voting 101 courses.
“This was my first year voting,” said Aaron Johnson, a young adult who voted from Twin Rivers Community Facility. “I’m glad that they give people in my situation an opportunity to vote. I’m glad my vote matters. My overall experience is that I liked voting and I want to do it again.”
These young adults are taking strides to advocate for themselves and their communities this voting season, and thanks to the staff supporting them as they do so.