Illinois jail continues allowing detainees to vote in presidential elections, other local races

An Illinois jailhouse continues to thatch populist behind bars, peculiarly by showing inmates and detainees really they tin ballot while incarcerated.

Nathaniel Carswell is 1 of galore being temporarily held while not serving a condemnation astatine Cook County Jail’s Division II, which still has barbed ligament surrounding nan spot and nan sound of doors getting locked down them.

Carswell, for illustration respective different inmates, took a civics people offered astatine nan facility, and now they’re voting successful nan 2024 statesmanlike election.

I voted fastener and voting time sign  (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

"It's conscionable to counsel you of what you tin and can't do and really your sound does matter," Carswell told Fox 32. "And a batch of group don't moreover cognize really to vote. So, this people is very educational."

Marquis Tucker is different detainee astatine nan installation who claimed that voting was astir inserting his ain sound into his community.

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"They astir apt deliberation we conscionable up successful present moving retired and doing worldly to discarded our time," Tucker said. "But it's a batch of well-informed guys… and we do a batch of watching news."

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said detainees don’t conscionable study astir nan process of democracy, but they tin besides believe it — successful nan solitude and comfortableness of nan chapel.

After voting, big a watch statement pinch each your friends and family.  (iStock )

"We beryllium and talk a awesome woody astir really we want group who get involved, nan criminal justness system, to beryllium reengaged successful community," Dart said. "We want them to get jobs and beryllium engaged pinch their families. We talk astir that each nan time."

"But what amended measurement to really springiness personification a consciousness of ownership successful their ain organization than you're voting? I mean, you really you're nan 1 deciding who's going to beryllium your alderman, your authorities representative, nan President of nan United States. And that gives you a consciousness of ownership successful your community," Dart said.

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Cook County became nan first jailhouse successful nan state to group up polling stations wrong confined walls during nan 2020 elections. 

"We get a amended turnout successful group successful nan jailhouse than group connected nan outside," nan sheriff said.

More than 50% of its registered detainees voted successful a caller election, compared to conscionable 36% successful nan metropolis of Chicago. Dart said voting while incarcerated carries much weight for nan prisoners.

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Tucker said that weight is nan early of his family.

"I person 2 children. I conscionable want nan candidates to make it safe for my kids," Tucker said.