VOTE

VOTE VOTE | Voice of the Experienced is a grassroots organization founded by & for people with convictions to create systemic justice reform in Louisiana & beyond.

We have chapters in Baton Rouge, Lafayette & New Orleans. Reach out to get involved! At VOTE, we've built a community of formerly incarcerated people (FIP), our loved ones, and allies to dismantle mass incarceration and improve public safety. We are experts on these topics because they are our lived experiences. Spanning across Louisiana, we have 3 chapters in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and New Orlea

ns. Together we draft and advocate for local and state-wide legislation, teach each other on how to maneuver the legal system, and form partnerships with other organizations to provide direct services to people with convictions. Ultimately, VOTE mobilizes a strong group of leaders to transform the (in)justice system. Read more, donate, and join us at https://www.voiceoftheexperienced.org/. Visit our community calendar to see upcoming events: https://www.voiceoftheexperienced.org/calendar

09/07/2026

Our Fair Chance Campaign webpage is live!

The VOTE Lafayette chapter has hit the ground running with it's fair chance campaign. Learn more at our now live website: bit.ly/fairchancecampaign

Fair chances are good for business, good for public safety and good for Louisiana.

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day!

Work has dignity, but too many people with conviction histories are unfairly shut out of jobs. Last year, we passed the Fair Chance Amendment in New Orleans with 75% of the vote. Now, our VOTE Lafayette chapter is pushing a campaign with full force. This campaign isn’t just about fairness; it’s about:

-Safer streets: people with fair chances are less likely to be involved in the justice system again
-Stronger economy: worker filling the jobs Lafayette needs
-A community that works for EVERYONE

Visit our campaign webpage bit.ly/fairchanceamendment to learn more and get involved!

THIS is what building power looks like. ✊🏾A team of about 50 VOTE staff and members recently returned from the regional ...
09/03/2026

THIS is what building power looks like. ✊🏾

A team of about 50 VOTE staff and members recently returned from the regional convening of the Formerly Incarcerated, Convicted People and Families Movement (FICPFM) in Nashville, which was a huge success. This gathering created a space for our people to connect, strategize, and build collective power with fellow directly impacted leaders, organizers, advocates, partners, and community-based organizations.

From breakout sessions, to networking, to peacefully marching to the Tennessee State Capitol, our people showed up, participated, and repeatedly expressed how grateful they were for the opportunity to attend, learn, connect, and represent VOTE.

This convening was a stark reminder that our communities don’t need more cages. We need more resources. More opportunities. More healing. More accountability. More power in the hands of the people who have lived through these systems.

08/30/2026

As Black August comes to a close, we remember that our liberation is connected.

Black August is a time to pause, remember, and recognize the collective struggle of people inside and outside of prison walls. It reminds us that the fight for freedom must include the people most directly impacted by incarceration. It can be easy to forget the people and struggles we cannot see.

We cannot fight for justice while leaving people behind bars out of sight and out of mind. Black August reminds us to remember, unify, and resist together while honoring those who came before us.

08/27/2026

Following a proposal to establish a data center in New Orleans East, the City Council temporarily banned data centers in the city for one year to give city boards time to consider how they should be regulated. Largely thanks to community showing up and speaking out publicly, at Tuesday's City Planning Commission meeting, recommendations on data centers were deferred again while commissioners indicated they are considering stronger regulations, including a ban on larger, hyperscale data centers.

Data centers can place significant demands on water, electricity, infrastructure, and surrounding communities. And this conversation is happening as a data center in Richland Parish is projected to become one of the largest in the world, potentially consuming seven times the amount of electricity New Orleans uses every day.

New Orleans East has already experienced decades of disinvestment and environmental injustice. Residents deserve to know how developments like these could affect their water, electricity, infrastructure, health, and quality of life - and who ultimately benefits.

In his testimony, VOTE Chief Policy Strategist Ronald asks a simple question: If we know the potential harm, why are we considering putting data centers in communities that have already been burdened for generations?

We honor the life of Jerome “Big Duck” Smith — New Orleans organizer, Freedom Rider, civil rights leader, educator, and ...
08/24/2026

We honor the life of Jerome “Big Duck” Smith — New Orleans organizer, Freedom Rider, civil rights leader, educator, and father.
 
At VOTE headquarters in New Orleans, Big Duck stands at the center of a mural alongside the freedom fighters who shaped this country: Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and others. Our mural stands as a reminder that no one carries the fight alone, and that collective power is what moves history forward.
 
For decades, he poured himself into this city’s young people. He believed they couldn’t shape what came next without first knowing where they came from — and he made it his life’s work to make sure they knew.
 
Rest in power, Big Duck. 1939–2026.

08/21/2026

Black August asks us to remember that the fight for freedom has always been bigger than any one person, and one fight can change what’s possible for many.

At 17 years old, Henry Montgomery was sentenced to life without parole in 1963. Nearly six decades later, his case reached the U.S. Supreme Court and changed what was possible for people sentenced to die in prison for crimes committed as children. His landmark Supreme Court case, Montgomery v. Louisiana (2016), made the 2012 Miller v. Alabama ruling retroactive, leading to the release of over 800 people nationwide sentenced to life in prison without parole for crimes committed when they were children, including Ivy Mathis (VOTE) and Andrew Hundley (Parole Project).

Montgomery was finally granted parole in 2021. His resilience continues to inspire the movement for justice and second chances.

As we reflect on Black August, we honor Henry Montgomery and the generations of people who have fought for freedom, dignity, and the possibility of transformation.

🎥:

A recent investigation by Verite News highlights serious questions about how New Orleans’ Ban the Box protections are be...
08/19/2026

A recent investigation by Verite News highlights serious questions about how New Orleans’ Ban the Box protections are being enforced and applied to people with criminal records. 
 
The story centers on Devon Jones, a violence interrupter who was fired from University Medical Center (UMC) in April. Jones and his attorneys allege that his termination was based on a 2009 conviction for armed robbery. His legal team, including VOTE attorney Ilona Prieto, has asked the City of New Orleans to investigate whether the firing violated the city’s Ban the Box ordinance.
 
New Orleans’ Ban the Box ordinance applies to city agencies and city contractors and requires employers to consider whether a conviction is actually related to the duties of the job before making an adverse employment decision. The protections were strengthened with an amendment in 2025. A criminal record should not permanently define a person’s ability to work, contribute to their community, or build a future.

Fair chance policies are meaningful only when they are actually enforced. Passing protections on paper is not enough if people with records continue to be shut out of employment based solely on their past. New Orleans voters overwhelmingly approved the Fair Chance Amendment in 2025, establishing formerly incarcerated people as a protected class under the city charter. Now, city officials and contractors have an opportunity to demonstrate what those protections mean in practice.

Read more at the link in our bio or go to veritenews.org

Story and photo by Robert

08/18/2026

As we commemorate Black August, a month focused on recognizing the struggles and sacrifices of Black political prisoners in the battle against systemic oppression, the story of the Angola Three stands as a powerful example of how bravery, unity, and a steadfast commitment to justice can drive change—even in the face of extreme adversity. Their legacy continues to inspire new generations to strive for a world where dignity, freedom, and equality are not just aspirations but lived experiences for everyone.

Checo Yancy, VOTE Policy Director, talks about how Albert Woodfox, Robert King, and Herman Wallace spent over 40 years fighting against the segregation and brutality of Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola). Their peaceful hunger and work strikes brought national attention to the prison’s inhumane conditions. Their resistance inspired others inside Angola to keep fighting, to support one another, and to believe in freedom even while confined.

No Surrender, No Retreat.

Join VOTE and community members THIS Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Milne Recreation Center (5420 Franklin Ave) to speak out abo...
08/18/2026

Join VOTE and community members THIS Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Milne Recreation Center (5420 Franklin Ave) to speak out about ongoing discrimination against volunteer coaches. Let’s show up and make sure NORD’s leaders uphold the values New Orleanians voted for last year.

Can’t attend? Click the link in our bio to fill out the community survey!

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4930 Washington Avenue
New Orleans, LA
70125

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Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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