Some Georgia Convicted Felons Get Gun Rights Back

Over one thousand convicted felons in Georgia have had their right to bear arms restored by a state board between 2008 and 2013.

The Associated Press cites an Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation which revealed that the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles has restored firearms possession rights to over 1,400 convicted felons in a five year span. The report says that the board denied applications from roughly 700 convicted felons during the same time period.

In 2013 alone, 666 convicted felons in Georgia had their gun rights restored by the board.

Normally, convicted felons cannot legally own firearms, and can be sent back to prison for between one to five years if they are convicted of possessing a firearm illegally.

A former parole board chairwoman told the AP that although everyone deserves a second chance, convicted felons must meet a higher level of scrutiny before they can legally own firearms again.

Although she said that it would be extraordinarily difficult for her to restore gun rights to a felon convicted of a violent crime, the AJC report states that 358 such felons, including 32 felons who killed another person, had their rights restored between 2008 and 2013.

Convicted felons who wish to have their gun rights restored must wait until five years have passed since the end of their probation to apply. They must also avoid further arrests, and three people not related to the felon must testify to his or her rehabilitation before the State Board of Pardons and Paroles will grant the restoration of gun rights.