Illinois prisons continue to teach democracy behind bars, especially by showing inmates and detainees how to vote while incarcerated.
Nathaniel Carswell is one of many people temporarily held while serving time at the Cook County Jail, Division 2, where barbed wire still surrounds the compound. I hear the sound of the door closing behind me.
Carswell, like several other inmates, has taken civics classes offered at the facility and is currently voting in the 2024 presidential election.
“I voted” button and voting day sign (Kurt “Cyber Guy” Knutson)
“This is to advise you on what you can and cannot do and how your voice matters,” Carswell told Fox 32.. “And there are a lot of people who don't even know how to vote. So this class is very educational.”
Marquis Tucker, also an inmate at the facility, said voting means giving your community a voice.
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“They probably think we're just out here working out or doing something to waste time,” Tucker said. “But because there are a lot of well-informed people…we watch the news a lot.”
cook county sheriff Tom Dart He said the detainees not only learn about the democratic process, but also practice it in the solitude and comfort of the chapel.
After you vote, host a watch party with all your friends and family. (image)
“We sit down and talk a lot about how we want people involved in the criminal justice system to re-engage with the community,” Dart said. “We want them to get jobs and be involved with their families. We talk about it all the time.”
“But what better way to really give someone a sense of ownership in your community than by voting for them? I mean, who's on your city council, who's your state representative, who's president of the United States?” You decide,' and it gives you a sense of ownership in your community,” Dart said.
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Cook County became the first prison in the country to set up a polling place within its confined walls during the 2020 election.
“The turnout of people in prison is higher than people outside of prison,” the sheriff said.
In recent elections, more than 50% of registered detainees voted, compared to just 36% in the city of Chicago. Dart said voting while incarcerated is more important for inmates.
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Tucker said her weight is her family's future.
“I have two children, and I just want the candidate to keep them safe,” Tucker said.
