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This Week on the Eastern Standard special series, Democracy Optimist:

4.6 million Americans have lost their right to vote because of a felony conviction due to a policy known as felon disenfranchisement. The policy has a disproportionate impact on people of color given our criminal legal system. Our guests for this episode are Debra Graner who had been convicted of a felony in Kentucky and recently regained her voting rights, as well as Claire Sandberg, the law student who helped Graner through the process to have her criminal conviction expunged. We’re also joined by Desmond Meade, founder of the Florida Rights Restoration Clinic, formed to re-enfranchise 1.4 million returning citizens in the Sunshine State.

Recently on Eastern Standard

Coal train along river in Perry County, Kentucky (Image by Chris Begley)

Episode Ten of the Eastern Standard documentary series RISE explores connections between surface mining and the flooding of downstream communities, as well as efforts to speed the reclamation of idled mines using methods designed to reduce or even prevent runoff.

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