Visit Before You Vote is a national campaign created to educate and engage decision makers on the realities of corrections from the frontline perspective before they make sweeping changes to policy or vote on funding decisions.
For many states, the corrections allocation is the largest line item in the budget, yet the vast majority of elected officials have no experience with what really occurs behind the walls. There’s a critical need for lawmakers, governors, policy writers, and newly elected officials to gain firsthand insight into the challenges faced within America’s correctional facilities.
One Voice United needs you to get your elected officials to visit before they vote. See more below about why and how to participate.
Campaign Objectives
Engagement
Encourage lawmakers, governors, policy writers, and newly elected officials to visit correctional facilities. and engage in meaningful discussions with frontline staff to gain insight into the realities of working within America’s prisons and jails and the impacts their decisions have on their work and lives.
Education
Foster dialogue on critical topics such as understaffing, facility constraints, recruitment and retention, staff wellness, and programming/policy implementation and limitations. Encourage decision-makers to consider these perspectives when shaping future corrections policies and budget allocations.
Advocacy
Empower frontline staff by providing them with a platform to voice their experiences and concerns directly to decision-makers, fostering a sense of inclusion and accountability in the policymaking process.
5 Simple Steps to
Visit Before You Vote
We’ve created five simple steps to help you get an elected official to visit a correctional facility before they vote. And to make the lift as light as possible, we’ve created a Visit Before You Vote Tool Kit with templates and assets. Should you have any questions email jeremy@onevoiceunited.org.
Reach out to elected officials
See these outreach best practices and email template to help engage your elected official.
Send the Pledge
Before meeting with your elected official, send the official Visit Before You Vote Pledge.
Meet with the elected official
Share this tour briefing packet and take a photo with the elected official holding the signed pledge.
Take the elected official on a tour
Set up the tour with the facility and the elected official. Join the tour at the facility and take a photo with the elected official.
Promote and Thank
Be sure to share your photos on social media and with OVU – #visitb4uvote. Don’t forget to write a thoughtful thank you.
Visit Before You Vote
Tool Kit
Download the full Visit Before You Vote tool kit to help you have a successful campaign effort. The tool kit includes everything you need in one spot: the Visit Before You Vote campaign overview, outreach best practices, email template to elected official, Visit Before You Vote pledge card and facility tour briefing packet for the elected official.