The people currently incarcerated in Illinois’s prisons are not inmates. Even the IDOC is no longer using that epithet. They are people. Furthermore, the language in the IL constitution is not a blanket prohibition against voting. Instead, it says that the right to vote shall be restored “not later than upon completion of his sentence.” Importantly, it does not say upon completion of his sentence. The Illinois Alliance for Reentry & Justice believes that real democracy requires all citizens to be eligible to vote regardless of incarceration status. If we truly want public safety and all Illinoisan children to have an electoral advocate, the civic engagement of those that are currently incarcerated must be re-enfranchised. There are approximately 100,000 children whose parents’ voices have been silenced under our current laws. There’s no one to vote on school boards or in elections to determine how they are policed, the number of playgrounds/parks they have access to, where polluting businesses may be located, etc. All Illinoisan children deserve better.