It’s election day at prisons and jails across the country, and as inmates cast their ballots behind bars, a Canadian senator is trying to break down barriers so they can make an informed choice.
Twenty-three years after prisoners won the right to vote, Sen. Bernadette Clement visited nine correctional facilities to prepare a report about the challenges that still exist for elections held inside.
On Wednesday, she visited the Collins Bay Institution in Kingston, Ont., to observe the process firsthand.
“The reason that vote is important is because their stories are still being written,” Clement said during an interview with Radio-Canada the day before.
Despite being incarcerated, inmates still want to advocate for the needs of their families, communities and the institutions they’re in, according to the senator.
“The right to vote is about that connection,” she explained. “[It’s] about that continuing journey they want to have toward rehabilitation and …