FREE HEARTS MAKES SURE FEES DON’T STAND IN THE WAY OF VOTING

BY HANNAH HERNER

Court fees and fines stand in the way of some Nashvillians looking to get their right to vote back after having committed a felony, even after they’ve served their time.

Free Hearts, a local organization led by and advocating for people who are formerly incarcerated, looked to change that. Jawharrah Bahar, director of outreach for Free Hearts, was one of the beneficiaries of the Free Hearts Fines and Fees Fund. Having finished her sentence in 2015, she had owed more than $5,000 in court fees and restitution, which was blocking her right to vote.

Bahar will be able to vote in this November’s election, thanks to the fund and the help navigating the bureaucracy that Free Hearts provided.

How did this fund come about?

I was having difficulties getting my voting right back. We did a survey, it was called the criminalization of poverty survey. We learned that a lot of people were not able to vote due to their fees and fines. I had completed my sentence for over five years. Since 2015 I had been working on this. We just learned that in order for us to wield power locally and statewide, we needed more voters to vote. That’s the only way we’re going to really see effective change. It was a very difficult time because I didn’t feel like I was part of my community, not being able to vote.

How did it feel to get your voting rights back?

It felt good, it felt really good. It was a hard challenge because I never thought I would ever even get my voting rights back. Because there’s so much you have to go through just to pay your fees and fines. It’s really sad and ridiculous and if a person don’t really know how to navigate it, it would cause them to get frustrated and not even want to be a part of it.

What was the process like?

It was very difficult and what I would tell someone is they just have to keep their head up and reach out for support. We’re available. I’m just so blessed to have this opportunity to be able to help other people that actually need the help.

What advice would you give to someone looking to go through the voting restoration process?

I just want to say that people can’t give up. It’s frustrating and it feels like you’ll never actually get the things you need to get done, but you have to just keep pushing. You can’t allow your past to determine your future. Just because a person makes a mistake, that doesn’t mean your life is over. We all have made mistakes and the thing about life is you learn from it, you grow from it and you move on. For more information on whether you can get your voting rights restored, visit sos.tn.gov.

Email info@freeheartsorg.com or call 615-745-1117 for more information on Free Hearts.