RADICAL. MIKA AND I LEARNED EARLIER TODAY
YOU CAN BE IN JAIL IN MAINE AND
STILL VOTE.
STILL VOTE. WE ARE CHANGING OUR RESIDENCE TO
MAINE FOR A LOT OF REASONS WE
CANT GET INTO RIGHT NOW.
LETS BRING IN RIGHT NOW NBC
NEWS CORRESPONDENT MORGAN
RADFORD WHO RECENTLY WENT INSIDE
MAINE STATE PRISON AND SPOKE TO
INMATES ABOUT THEIR EFFORTS TO
MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD.
MORGAN, WHAT DID YOU FIND OUT?
>> IT WAS INTERESTING PAP LOT OF
PEOPLE DONT REALIZE THIS LAW
EXISTS IN STATES LIKE MAINE AND
VERMONT.
VERMONT. THIS IS A TOPIC THATS BEEN
GENERATING A LOT OF BUZZ ON THE
2020 CAMPAIGN TRAIL. BERNIE SANDERS IS FOR IT.
KAMALA HARRIS IS WILLING TO HAVE
A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT.
WE WENT INTO ONE PRISON IN MAINE
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS
CONVERSATION BUBBLING UP TO THIS
NATIONAL LEVEL.
NATIONAL LEVEL. YOU MAY BE SURPRISED THEY ARE
PAYING VERY CLOSE ATTENTION. FOSTER BATES HAS BEEN LOCKED UP
HERE IN THIS MAXIMUM SECURITY
PRISON FOR 17 YEARS. >> WHAT ARE YOUR IN HERE FOR?
>> MURDER.
>> MURDER.
>> YOU VOTED IN EVERY ELECTION SINCE YOUVE BEEN IN HERE.CTION
SINCE YOUVE BEEN IN HERE. NATIONWIDE ONLY TWO STATES ALLOW
PRISONERS TO VOTE.
VERMONT AND MAINE.
WHERE FELONS NEVER LOSE THE
RIGHT TO VOTE, EVEN WHILE INCAR
CERTIFICATE INCARCERATED.
INCARCERATED. BATES IS THE PRESIDENT OF A
SPECIAL NAACP CHAPTER THAT HE
LEADS WITH HIS VICE PRESIDENT,
ALSO CONVICTED OF MURDER. >> DOING WHAT I DID, I KNOW I
DESERVE TO SERVE TIME FOR THAT.
>> Reporter: TOGETHER THEY HELP
REGISTER OTHER INMATES TO VOTE.
>> WHAT IS THIS GREEN FOR
>> THATS THE VOTER REGISTRATION
APPLICATION FORM.
>> Reporter: WITH MORE THAN 2
MILLION PEOPLE BEHIND BARS THE
U.S. HAS THE HIGHEST PRISON POPULATION IN THE WORLD.SON
POPULATION IN THE WORLD. A POTENTIAL VOTING BLOC BIGGER
THAN THE ENTIRE STATE OF NEW MEXICO.E ENTIRE STATE OF NEW
MEXICO.
THERES SO MUCH LIFE HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF THESE WALLS.PENING
OUTSIDE OF THESE WALLS. >> YES.
>> YES. >> WHY DO YOU THINK ITS
IMPORTANT TO VOTE FROM WITHIN
THESE WALLS?
>> BECAUSE WE ARE JUST AS MUCH A PART OF THIS COUNTRY AS ANYONE A
PART OF THIS COUNTRY AS ANYONE OUTSIDE OF THESE WALLS.
BECAUSE WERE INCARKAR SERCAR CE SHOULD LOSE MY RIGHT TO VOTE.CE
SHOULD LOSE MY RIGHT TO VOTE. >> ITS GETTING A LOT OF
ATTENTION.
ATTENTION.
>> I THINK THE RIGHT TO VOTE IS
INHERENT TO OUR DEMOCRACY.
YES, EVEN FOR TERRIBLE PEOPLE.
>> LET TERRORISTS THAT ARE IN PRISON VOTE.RISTS THAT ARE IN
PRISON VOTE. I DONT THINK SO.
>> FOR DIANE AND JIM THE ISSUE
HITS CLOSER TO HOME.
>> IT WAS A RING THAT HE HAD ON HIS FINGER. RING THAT HE HAD ON
HIS FINGER. >> THEIR 25-YEAR-OLD SON WAS
MURDERED IN 1989.
THE MAN CONVICTED OF KILLING HIM
IS CURRENTLY SERVING 30 YEARS IN
A MAINE PRISON.
SCHEDULED TO GET OUT JUST AFTER THE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
>> IF YOU HAD A MESSAGE TO YOUR
LAWMAKERS ABOUT THIS RIGHT TO
VOTE HERE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? >> THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY IS
MY SON DIDNT GET A CHANCE TO
VOTE.
VOTE.
WHY WOULD YOU ALLOW SOMEONE
THATS COMMITTED A MURDER, MANSLAUGHTER TO VOTE WHEN MY SON
COULDNT VOTE.
COULDNT VOTE. >> ITS AN ARGUMENT THAT THESE
INMATES UNDERSTAND.
INMATES UNDERSTAND.
>> ITS NOT MUCH YOU CAN SAY TO
THE FAMILY AS TO WHY THIS PERSON
SHOULD VOTE.
BUT THE ANSWER I WOULD GIVE IS
THAT YOU HAVE AT SOME POINT IN TIME, IF THAT PERSON COMES BACK
TO SOCIETY, YOU WANT TO HAVE A
CHANGED PERSON NOT THE PERSON
WHO COMMITTED THE HEINOUS CRIME. >> THE PERSON WHO SAYS HESCRIME.
>> THE PERSON WHO SAYS HES STILL A CITIZEN EVEN IF ITS
BEHIND BARS.
WHATS INTERESTING THAT NAACP
CHAPTER THEY REGISTERED TO 30 VOTERS BACK IN THE 2016 TO 30
VOTERS BACK IN THE 2016 ELECTION.
ELECTION.
THEY HAD A RECORD HIGH WHEN
OBAMA WON BACK IN 2008 AND THAT
WAS 300 REGISTRANTS. YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO FIND
OUT THAT BATES MANY IF NOT MOST
ARE REPUBLICANS AND VOTED FOR
TRUMP.
>> MIKE?
>> THE INTERESTING THING TO ME
IS, AND IT USED TO BE IN
MASSACHUSETTS WHERE PRISONERS
COULD VOTE.
THEY SHUT THAT DOWN AFTER A FURLOUGH PROGRAM, DUKAKIS A
FURLOUGH PROGRAM, DUKAKIS ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION.
WHAT ISSUES INSIDE MOTIVATE INMATES WHO CAN VOTE AS OPPOSED
TO ISSUES THAT AFFECT PEOPLE IN
THE OUTSIDE WORLD.
>> FOR THOSE WHO VOTED TRUMP, FOR EXAMPLE, THE VICE PRESIDENT
OF THAT CHAPTER SAID HE VOTED
FOR TRUMP AND BEEN A REGISTERED
REPUBLICAN ALL OF HIS LIFE. HE SAID NUMBER ONE IT WAS THE
ECONOMY.
ECONOMY.
HE FELT ESPECIALLY WITH MR.
TRUMP THE ECONOMY HAD A SHOT. THATS WHAT HE WANTED TO SEE..
THATS WHAT HE WANTED TO SEE. OTHER THAN THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE
PRISON REFORM.
PRISON REFORM.
IT SURPRISED ME HIGH ON THEIR
LIST WERE THINGS WHO VOTED FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY LIKE MR.R
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY LIKE MR. BATES.
BATES.
HE SAID CLIMATE CHANGE. EDUCATION.IMATE CHANGE.
EDUCATION.
THINGS THAT I THINK WILL HELP ME
ONCE I GET OUTSIDE OF THE CELL
BLOCK.
>> INTERESTING.
>> WHY IS IT WE HAVE TWO NEW ENGLAND STATES RIGHT NEXT TO
EACH OTHER ONLY TWO STATES OUT
OF THE 50, ANY IDEA?
>> I ASKED THAT. WHAT WAS SURPRISING IS A LOT OF
RESIDENTS DONT EVEN KNOW THAT
THIS EXISTS IN THEIR STATE.
THATS KIND OF WHAT CONFUSED ME.
THERES NO TELLING WHY.
WHATS INTERESTING IS THAT MAINE
IS SORT OF THE MOST LIBERAL IN
TERMS OF THEIR POLICIES.
FOR EXAMPLE, THEY HAVE A
MANDATORY RIGHT TO HAVE
VISITATION.
THE LAST TIME SOMEBODY TRIED TO OVERTURN THIS LAW WAS BACK INTO
OVERTURN THIS LAW WAS BACK IN 2013 FROM A REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER.
BECAUSE ITS WRITTEN INTO THEIR
CONSTITUTION IN THEIR STATE YOU
HAVE TO HAVE A REFERENDUM.
>> CONCORD, MASSACHUSETTS PRISON
WAS A MINIMUM SECURITY PRISON. I ENCOURAGED A FRIEND OF MINE TO
RUN FOR SELECTMAN IN CONCORD.