A new report is looking at the cost of keeping convicted felons out of the voting booth in Florida.
According to the study, the state of Florida lost $385 million each year in economic impact and missed out on 3,800 jobs since Governor Scott and the Cabinet reversed the policy of automatically restoring civil rights once a felon's sentence has been completed.
The study was paid for by the Alliance for Safety and Justice, a national criminal justice reform organization that works with crime survivors, to show the economic impact of approving the amendment that would automatically restore voting rights for non-violent felons.
The group estimates that if Florida approves Amendment 4, the state will see the following economic impact:
- $365 million in total economic impact each year
- $223 million less in annual prison and court costs
- $143 million in additional annual income for felons eligible to have rights restored
- 3,800 more jobs developed — from knowledge-based jobs to manufacturing industries
- $234 million in additional gross domestic product
- $50 million in additional federal, state and local tax revenue