The topic of felon disenfranchisement has become a very controversial topic recently. The current presidential administration, in what appears to be an empty statement and political posturing, recently ordered Attorney General Eric Holder to decree that the racist and archaic practice inspired by Jim Crow be restructured or more likely abolished. And in what would seem to be Atty's advantage in a society already sensitive to racism. General Eric Holder states in his speech at the Georgetown University Law Center on criminal justice reform that "although more than a century has passed since post-Reconstruction states used these measures to deprive African Americans of their most basic rights, the impact of disenfranchisement on felons' modern communities of color remains both disproportionate and unacceptable. Across America, 2.2 million black citizens – or nearly one in 13 African-American adults – are barred from voting due to these laws. In three states – Florida, Kentucky and Virginia – this ratio climbs to one in five” (Eric H. Holder, 2014)I. History of Disenfranchisement The practice of excluding felons from participation in general social activities because of their criminal acts "originated in ancient Greece," as George Brooks stated in the Fordham Urban LawJournal. (Brooks, 2005) Originally, perpetrators of crimes were punished with what is known as civil death, in which individuals were prohibited from participating in all civil functions and owning property or even entering into transactions. contracts with other parties. The practice of civil death was designed to deter individuals from committing criminal acts and would remove them from society with a life sentence.Evolution of American Dis...... middle of paper ......eek .Info Learning Base. (July 25, 2008). Disenfranchisement of felons. Retrieved from Info Learning Base: By the Numbers: http://www.2facts.com/icof_story.aspx?PIN=in061102Pettus, KI (2005). Judicial Justifications for Felon Disenfranchisement and the Politics of Crime. Schall, J.D. (2004). Does the “social contract” theory present a valid reason for the disenfranchisement of felons? Retrieved from The Sentencing Project: http://www.sentencingproject.org/template/index.cfmSpakovsky, HA (March 15, 2013). Ex-cons should prove they deserve the right to vote. Retrieved April 15, 2014, from The Heritage: http://www.heritage.org/research/commentary/2013/3/excons-should-prove-they-deserve-the-right-to-voteU.S. Ministry of Justice. (nd). Bureau of Justice Statistics. (UD Justice, producer) Accessed April 14, 2014 from http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=17