Should prisoners around the world have the right to vote?
Prisoners Should be Able to Vote
Prisoners are citizens too. They may have committed a felony, but they are still citizens of their home country. Some people think prisoners should not have the right to vote, but many others think they should. About two million people in U.S. are in prison. All those people do not get to cast a vote in the election. They are not able to decide who runs the country they live in. Imagine not being able to have a say in our country. We are a democracy, which means everyone has the right to vote in our government. Prisoners should be allowed to vote because they still are citizens and still have rights.
Prisoners should be able to vote and influence the outcome of an election . If all the prisoners were allowed to vote it may have an impact on the election. Prisoners want the chance to vote. As of February 2011 the United States was in the lead of number of prisoners with 2,019,234. Prisoners do not have a say in the government. In New York people who are on parole cannot vote. As of 2004 thirty-five states forbid people who have just been released from prison to vote.
In the constitution it states everyone is given the right to vote. Amendment 15 is the voting rights act. In the first section of this amendment, it states the right to vote cannot be taken away from people based on their color, race, or what has happened previously in their life. That amendment is not being applied to the rights of prisoners. Only two states, Vermont and Maine, let everyone vote without ever stripping away rights(Robin Coe, Prisoners Voting Rights ehow.com). In Vermont the voting laws are you have to be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Vermont, has taken voters oath, and 18 years or older to vote, this means that prisoners can vote there. In the second section it states that congress is supposed to enforce the first one. In 47 states prisoners cannot vote; in Maine an incarcerated person is allowed to vote. Congress has only protected this amendment in two states.
We are a democracy. In a democracy everyone has a say in the government. The voting rules are different for prisoners in each state. In some states prisoners voting rights have to be restored. In South Dakota felons must serve their full term of incarceration, parole, or probation before they are allowed to register to vote. In Washington, felons have to wait to be off parole to be able to vote. In some states, prisoners cannot get their voting rights back once they have left prison if they have committed a very serious crime. In Alabama, most felons have to apply to get their voting rights back, but if the felon committed a very serious crime like a murder, or treason they cannot get their rights back. In Delaware no matter what crime a felon may have committed they have to wait five years before they can vote, but if they committed murder, manslaughter, or abuse they have their voting rights permanently taken away. In Mississippi, when felons commit murder, theft, arson, bribery, carjacking and more they are banned from voting , but they can go to their state representative and convince him/her why they should be able to vote. Taking away prisoners voting rights even after they have been released is unfair. Two million people are in prison. That’s a lot of people who cannot have a say, plus all the felons that have been released but are not able to vote. Those people cannot choose who runs their government.
Prisoners should be able to vote because they are citizens and they do have an influence on who would be elected. Those 2 million people would make a difference. When the election comes up their voting could make a difference in who gets elected. We are a democracy. Everyone has a say in government. Just because they have committed a crime does not mean their voting rights should be taken away.Posted by: mk91393First define reason of detainment
I think a counter discussion is "is the criminal system efficient?"
Many would argue no it is not. Criminality can be due to lack of education, lack of state responsibility, lack of parental leadership, lack of so many things. I can also be simply bad luck depending on the case.
By immediate entrance to the legal system the mistake is that you are no longer accepted in society by your peers, hence not allowed to vote? Its pretty cold to even assume your incareration is justified to begin with.
Even in the case of a convicted mass murderer who for some reason has escaped capital punishment. If his opinion doesnt count, what threat does a statistical minority represent to the status quo anyway? why not accept the vote anyway?
i would wager if the penal system becomes larger than the populace, you have a serious problem. which again points to revising the criminal system, not preventing them the ability to vote. considering so few americans vote to begin with, the issue at hand is not the important one.Posted by: PazPrisoners should be treated as citizens regardless of their status.
Many nations treat prisoners as having the same citizenship status as those who are not in prison. This makes sense because if prisoners are not able to voice an opinion in their government or community, they have even less reason to be reintegrated after their sentence ends. By excluding them from the basic right of participating in governance, it adds further to an already significant disconnect with fellow citizens.
Posted by: E OlsonThere are certain inalienable rights that should never be removed
The threshold for what is and what is not a crime is always changing, especially in countries like the UK where there is no written constitution and where every 5 years the new government changes laws in line with its ideology. You could be imprisoned for protesting against the government in the UK. Removing the right to vote from this sort of 'political prisoner' would bring us closer to the way totalitarian regimes operate.
Posted by: AnonymousEveryone has the right to vote
They should have a vote because the law is that everyone has the right to vote, and just because they are in prison doesn't mean they wouldn't make a bad decision towards politics. Maybe if they did something very very bad they should not have the right, but somrthing subtle for example, should be able to vote. People outside of prison could change people in prison lives by voting, but they don't have a say in this. They should have the right to vote.
Posted by: keendebater101It's fascist not to allow prisoners to vote
Simply put, any government should reflect the whole of society, if society is producing criminals through social policy leading to I creased unemployment and poverty, then surely, in a democracy, the least amongst us who are caught up in the system should have the right to voice their opinions and cast a vote.
Posted by: AnonymousWe pay taxes and if they work they pay the taxes too. They should vote.
Human Rights and the Strasburg Court both ruled that Britain must bring its laws in line with the rest of Europe on this issue, but today I was appalled to hear David Cameron so proudly proclaim his contempt for those courts' rulings. 1. I believe everyone should have the right to vote in a democracy. Democracy means the 'rule of the people'. I strongly believe that should include all adults. I can understand there might be some justification for disenfranchising people who are so mentally deficient that they could be unduly manipulated into voting a certain way, and the same of course applies to children.
Posted by: AnonymousPrisoners are US citizens
Prisoners made a mistake, yes, but they should be given a second chance. Prisoners shouldn't have to give up their right to vote, the US has fought wars to be independent, to be a democracy and to have certain rights. By not letting prisoners vote, it's as if we are throwing away all those wars as if they were nothing. By letting prisoners vote, it would help them focus on political issues so when they are released, they know what's going on.
Posted by: AnonymousI do feel that prisoners should have the right to vote.
I feel that prisoners should have the right to vote. I do not see the reasoning behind revoking a person's voting rights because the government sees it necessary to incarcerate them for any number of reasons. They are still a citizen and should be able to decide who is elected into office just as anyone else would.
Posted by: TickoCa22Yes, prisoners do not give up their basic human rights just by committing a crime.
Convicted criminals do not give up all of their basic human rights just by being convicted. Convicts are still entitled to food and shelter, etc. The right to vote is critical to what a democracy is all about and everyone should have the opportunity to participate. Just because you are a convict does not mean that you give up all of your rights to the state.
Posted by: R43ShepUnless we admit to being hypocritical when we speak of "rehabilitating" prisoners, we must admit them back into the mainstream of acceptable social activities, including the right to vote.
More than one out of every 30 Americans is either in prison or on probation.
We must do something with "those people." We should perhaps also keep in mind that the illegal acts of "those people" range from mass murderers to college students caught with a little too much grass.
Prisoner "management" can range from some third world nations, where prisoners are branded on the face, to some industrialized nations, where the families of law-breakers, victims of the crimes, and prisoners are brought together and means are found to bring the prisoners back into society in constructive and well-controlled ways.
It seems unlikely that "universal" prisoner voting right can be granted until and unless we decide, as a world community, just how we view law-breakers.
Suppose we decide that we want prisoners everywhere to have voting rights. How could we implement such a decision? Is this even logistically possible in America? Should we allow ALL prisoners to vote, or only non-violent crimes? But what about plea bargaining --violent crimes are plea bargained down to non-violent crimes.
Yes, if we want prisoners to become productive citizens, they should have the right to vote. No, it is unlikely that this will happen.Posted by: CI3IikeWhy David Cameron should abide by European law
I heard today on the radio David Cameron assuring us that "prisoners are not getting the vote under this government."
I wasn't in fact aware that prisoners couldn't vote in the UK until late last year when the issue was in the news. But now I am aware of it I find it unacceptable. I was pleased that both the European Court of Human Rights and the Strasburg Court both ruled that Britain must bring its laws in line with the rest of Europe on this issue, but today I was appalled to hear David Cameron so proudly proclaim his contempt for those courts' rulings.
1. I believe everyone should have the right to vote in a democracy. Democracy means the 'rule of the people'. I strongly believe that should include all adults. I can understand there might be some justification for disenfranchising people who are so mentally deficient that they could be unduly manipulated into voting a certain way, and the same of course applies to children, but I fail to see the justification for disenfranchising anyone else.
2. Voting is a good thing. The more people who vote the better. Also, it is not primarily a right to some 'good' like the right to healthcare or to justice or to education; it is more of a duty and a responsibility. One votes because one cares about the community one
is a part of. (Even someone who votes out of anger and hatred is still motivated by a desire to protect a community he cares about from those he is voting against.) I fail to see what can be achieved by
preventing prisoners from playing this important part in society.
3. I believe in the rule of law. For a prime minister to openly flout the law in this way is very worrying indeed. It makes me wonder in what other situations he might think himself above the law. I am reminded of that famous statement of Richard Nixon's: "Well, when the president does it, that means that it is not illegal."
4. Breaking the law in this way, and denying prisoners their legal rights is likely to lead to prisoners being (quite rightly) awarded compensation by the courts. I don't think anyone really wants it to come to that.
5. If a category of people is disenfranchised in this way it puts the validity of election results in doubt. It makes elections that little bit less 'free and fair'. Someone can always claim that prisoners are more likely to vote Labour (for example) and that denying prisoners votes is a way to unfairly skew an election result in favour of the Conservatives. In the USA, which seems to be the only other major country where 'prisoner disenfrachisement' is practiced routinely (not
sure about China) it is often claimed (says Wikipedia) that this is ade facto racist policy, as proportionately more blacks are convicted of felonies. Better I think to not lay oneself open to such charges.
6. The rest of Europe allows prisoners to vote and it isn't even an issue in those countries as far as I am aware.
Like the vast majority of Europeans I frankly don't understand what all the outrage is about, and I don't remember ever having heard David Cameron (or anyone else) explain why prisoners shouldn't have the vote. He appears to think the reason is so self-evident that he doesn't need to make the case for it. I just hope he can be made to see reason and that he has not 'boxed himself into a corner' on this issue.Posted by: paulgatoYes, of course
Prisoners are at the bottom of the social scale, but how they are treated is a judgement on the rest of us. They are in prison to be rehabilitated; the adaptation of society to receive them is as important as the changes in their lives, and they must be heard.
Posted by: AnonymousEquality!
Prisoners are people too. Democracy means EVERYONE gets to have their say, regardless of the fact that they're criminals. It's unfair to discriminate against criminals and not allow them have their say. We don't discriminate against anyone else from voting, and not allowing those who are incarcerated is immoral and threatens the democratic principles we pride ourselves on.
Posted by: ashermacleodIt's Unfair if they can't!
Prisoners should get the right to vote. If you say they can't that's like saying "No you can't play this board game as you cheated in it 10 years ago!" (However I do fully understand why people would not want prisoners to vote and I respect their views) Thank you for reading.
Posted by: AnonymousI believe every American should be able to vote, regardless if they are in prison.
Prisoners are just Americans that made mistakes, no matter the offense. That is why they call prisons "correctional facilities". They should still have a voice, even if they do not have their freedom. One day, they will be out, and should be able to live just as free as the next man.
Posted by: Elliot MaxwellIt would provide a countervailing force to mandatory sentencing and poor prison conditions.
If there weren't abominations like mandatory minimum sentencing and prison rape, I would probably say no, but these conditions need to be addressed. I remember reading a study where a mock sentencing reform commission was created, with the hypothesis that a commission would pass lighter sentences than the public at large or the legislators beholden to them. It turned out that they were wrong. The commission actually passed worse sentences. There needs to be a counterweight to overkill in sentencing and the poor conditions prisoners enduring while serving them.
Posted by: 54uIIanModern day slavery.
For small amounts of drug possession there are more black people in prison in America than there is for rape, murder and robbery combined. One might say they are locking up "Gangsters" ... Imagine they started locking up all middle class students that took drugs. Yes, that would be YOUR children. The fact that they live in an engineered social condition that breeds crime is heinous, some people would even call that entrapment.
In the US there are over 1 million people homeless now if your government let you down...What would you do to survive? Thankfully, the majority of people have some kind of moral compass. Alas, you would find yourself turning to drugs for a way to escape your rock bottom lifestyle.
So you end up getting arrested (not helped). Now you are not allowed to vote. Which baffles me. I am all for freedom of speech, regardless how much I disagree with some peoples views. So if free racists can have a voice why can someone who is a victim not have the same treatment?Posted by: AnonymousThe deprivation of liberty in prison is punishment in itself - all other human rights should be protected.
People are equal and should be treated as such - the UK Government has argued that it is to act as a deterrent and be part of punishment of imprisonment. I believe punishment through imprisonment is the deprivation of liberty - all other rights should be maintained and because prisoners are actually in a particularly vulnerable position due to being completely at the mercy of the state, their human rights should be supplemented.
I don't understand why people are so disgusted by the thought - what is it about being a criminal that means that they shouldn't be allowed to vote? Its part of their rehabilitation, it keeps them involved in society and doesn't marginalise them while they are in prison and prisons the have the opportunity to influence policy which is going to affect them.Posted by: AnonymousThey are a part of America.
Although their past may have lead them the wrong way towards a jail cell, every American citizen is human. Why take away their second chance? In amendment 15 of the American constitution it states that the right of vote cannot be taken away from people based on their color, race or what has happened previously in their life. This is called discrimination. Around 2 million people of America are in jail, which is a mighty lot, and anyway the more the better, and one may say that the vote isn't equal without the whole population of American citizens.
Posted by: AnonymousPrisoners should be able to vote.
Prisoners are citizens too. They may have committed a felony, but they are still citizens of their home country. Some people think prisoners should not have the right to vote, but many others think they should. About two million people in U.S. are in prison. All those people do not get to cast a vote in the election. They are not able to decide who runs the country they live in. Imagine not being able to have a say in our country. We are a democracy, which means everyone has the right to vote in our government. Prisoners should be allowed to vote because they still are citizens and still have rights. Prisoners should be able to vote and influence the outcome of an election. If all the prisoners were allowed to vote it may have an impact on the election. Prisoners want the chance to vote. As of February 2011 the United States was in the lead of number of prisoners with 2,019,234.
Prisoners do not have a say in the government. In New York people who are on parole cannot vote. As of 2004 thirty-five states forbid people who have just been released from prison to vote. In the constitution it states everyone is given the right to vote. Amendment 15 is the voting rights act. In the first section of this amendment, it states the right to vote cannot be taken away from people based on their color, race, or what has happened previously in their life. That amendment is not being applied to the rights of prisoners. Only two states, Vermont and Maine, let everyone vote without ever stripping away rights(Robin Coe, Prisoners Voting Rights ehow.com). In Vermont the voting laws are you have to be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Vermont, has taken voters oath, and 18 years or older to vote, this means that prisoners can vote there. In the second section it states that congress is supposed to enforce the first one. In 47 states prisoners cannot vote; in Maine an incarcerated person is allowed to vote. Congress has only protected this amendment in two states.
We are a democracy. In a democracy everyone has a say in the government. The voting rules are different for prisoners in each state. In some states prisoners voting rights have to be restored. In South Dakota felons must serve their full term of incarceration, parole, or probation before they are allowed to register to vote. In Washington, felons have to wait to be off parole to be able to vote. In some states, prisoners cannot get their voting rights back once they have left prison if they have committed a very serious crime. In Alabama, most felons have to apply to get their voting rights back, but if the felon committed a very serious crime like a murder, or treason they cannot get their rights back.Posted by: AnonymousPrisoners votes count
How do you measure a man, by his past convictions? or by his future aspirations? If everyone deserves a second chance when they fail, then everyone deserves to vote. Voting is the fundamental basis of our government system, but if not all citizens are allowed to vote than we have no government at all. Prisoners should not be barred from voting.
The 15th amendment states, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state...” (U.S. Constitution), yet nearly 1% of eligible voters are barred from the ballot. Now 1% may sound small but its actually millions of U.S. citizens. Those millions of voters that are unconstitutionally being rejected the vote could potentially change the outcome of the election. Voting in the United States in a Right not a privilege, so the government cannot choose who can and who can’t vote.
In order for a government that is built on elected officials to work then every citizen must have the right to vote. You can’t keep millions of people from voting just because the current laws don’t work for them. If the laws aren't working for the citizens than they deserve the right to vote for the politicians that will make changes that better our great country to keep our citizens out of prison. Someday when the prisoners complete their sentence than the laws need to make sense and work for everyone to keep them from returning to prison.
Most of them are good people that have just simply made a mistake that caught up with them, but they are still American citizens and they deserve to vote no matter what they’ve done in their past, because voting is about changing the future not changing the past. voting is about bettering our country for the good of all. Thus, all citizens including prisoners have the right to vote.Posted by: jklaidfsjgjYes prisoners should be able to vote
Prisoners are U.S. citizens and they have just as much a right as one. You are making them someone other than a citizen by taking their U.S. right to vote for who sits in the president's chair. The people who believe no are just mad because prisoners would take up a minor space in the U.S Presidential vote.
Posted by: AnonymousThe person in prison has broken somebody else's rights so they should have their rights taken away from them
When somebody goes to prison they go because they have broken the law and should be punished for what they have done, meaning if they have taken away somebody else's rights then they do not have the right to vote for who runs the country. Also, if they have been in prison for a very long time then they will have no grasp on current politics and not know the specific policies of current politicians, therefore if they do not know what they are voting for, they shouldn't be able to.
Posted by: AnonymousWhy on earth not?
They are still a citizen and I don't believe committing a crime bares any relevance on a persons right to vote and have a say on the politics of the country they live in. I think it is dangerous to start stopping people from voting, everyone is entitled to a voice in the country they live in.
Posted by: AnonymousLess likely to re-offend
In many circumstances crime is common among the lower income class. These are often the people who are hit the hardest by the government's policies. Therefore these prisoners should have an authorized say in the future of their country and their lives. Excluding them from voting would allow the government an easy pass to discriminate on this vulnerable section of society for their own popularity and benefits. Also many people forget that prisoners are people and lots of prisoners may have committed crimes such as shoplifting etc for their families and children and that their crimes were ultimately caused by the selfishness of society and not from their disobedience and disrespect towards authority. Figures also show that in many prisons without educational or recreational programmes, prisoners are more likely to re-offend once released as they feel angry, cut off and branded by society. So by including them in society by allowing them to vote, the chances of them re-offending are far less likely. However it could be suggested that there are some prisoners who through their crimes deserve to have their citizenship and rights rebuked. This could be true for serial killers etc although I do believe that if one citizen or prisoner is allowed to vote then everyone should be. Finally as there are still a few prisoners whose maturity and respect for others has not improved during their crimes, programmes across prisons should be run informing prisoners about the political contenders and the election process, but these must be impartial and not biased towards the present government. However there are are just as many members of society not in prison who display the maturity and respect of some offenders.
Posted by: Anonymousprisoners rights!!
I think that prisoners should have the right to vote because they are a person of the united states. Just because they are in prison does not change their right to vote. I think the people that think prisoners should not vote are scared that their vote might change something. There vote might change something, but it might be a good change.
Posted by: AnonymousPrison is about rehabilitation.
They give you food and water there, why not voting rights? Prisoners are still human and should not be restricted of their humanitarian rights. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has estimated that at least 200,000 were excluded from taking part in the 2000 presidential election. Thats a lot of people that cannot voice their opinion.
Posted by: lockkedduppAnyone has the right to vote
Anyone has the right to vote regardless of your status. I feel that prisoners should have the right to vote. I do not see the reasoning behind revoking a person's voting rights because the government sees it necessary to incarcerate them for any number of reasons. They are still a citizen and should be able to decide who is elected into office just as anyone else would.
Posted by: AnonymousPrisoners are not always the worst type of people.
Some people are imprisoned for very minor reasons, some are falsely imprisoned and some because society has completely failed them. Although none of the above is an excuse for crime, the correct government can help towards the prevention of a criminal community, but only if those that are effected by the above scenarios engage in debate and can have their opinion when it matters. It is evident that under some governments more crime happens, which means the electing of a government that prevents crime or discourages it through their policies is correlated to potential criminals having their vote. If we want to live in a more peaceful state, we need to involve those that are mostly affected by changes in government. Involving criminals in political debate and voting will rehabilitate them quicker and upon release they may have more respect for their society and a greater understanding of their wrong behavior and how it affects people. Additionally, should immoral people be allowed to vote? Should bullies in the work place be allowed to vote? Should the war mongers who involved themselves or supported the recent illegal wars be allowed to vote? (i.E. Many MP's, soldiers and citizens). Some people are in prison for minor crimes such as tax dodging, whilst bullies and immoral people freely walk our streets and cast their vote. There is no beginning and no end to who should have a vote based on behavior, therefore everyone should have a vote. The fact of the matter is, some of the worst type of people never see the inside of a prison cell; these are usually the ones that so harshly judge those that are incarcerated, or those that have not helped discourage criminal behavior through their own attitudes. Quite often the immoral ones are those who have major influence during elections.
Posted by: Anonymous
No, they lost that right.
That is one right they lost when incarcerated. They lost the right to be part of that area of society. Now when they get out of jail, they should get that right back. It's wrong for felons to not be able to vote once they're back in society. Just because they were convicted and paid their dues, doesn't mean they should lose that right forever.
Posted by: R34d3Homeynot yet to early
They have broken the law, so they should not be able to until they come out of prison, and if they have been in there for a long time, they will not know anything about our voting system. And there are a lot more reasons why they should not vote.
Posted by: AnonymousPrisoners lost their rights when they were convicted of a crime.
Anyone who has been convicted of a crime does not deserve the right to vote on laws that will affect those who are still living in society. If you break the law, you don't get to decide who will govern and enforce the current laws and any new laws that might be established by a vote.
Posted by: ender31444The people who break the law shouldn't have a say of who enforces them.
This is because previous offenders, legitimate or not, shouldn't have a say in what happens in politics or law. This is because they have already damaged the community in one way or another, so their voices shouldn't be heard. However, these people are human beings. Also, the whole point in democracy is that it is fair and everybody has a vote, yet these humans aren't getting a voice or their voice heard. Therefore, to conclude, I believe that prisoners shouldn't usually be allowed to vote. However, there are people who have been in jail for a long time, and I believe that because they are human beings that people between 0-3 years of their sentence left should be allowed to vote.
Posted by: AnonymousWhat does a prisoner have to say in midst a jail cell?
You forfeit your rights in a cell, and should therefore have no rights to vote until your out in this case there is no reason to let the prisoners around the world a right to vote. If its is indeed important the populace will do so for you.
Posted by: BearContributors to society only
Society implies order, a social order, civilisation.
To be and act in a civilised or orderly manner requires that to a greater or lesser extent one should exhibit some of these traits. If a person acts in a manner that is uncivilised or disorderly then this society cannot operate efficiently.
Thus...
Once a person of society acts in ways that are deemed illegal, uncivil or exhibits excessive disorderly conduct surely this person is indicating that they are no longer part of the original agreed society, order or civilisation?
The persons who have acted 'out of society' are removed until such time as they are rehabilitated back into society?
We describe these persons as 'criminal' and by due legal course therefore remove them from our societies until such times as they can be and act in unison with the whole of their society again one day.
One great right of society is to be able to set the tone, the rules of engagement, and be part of the group who agree together on the set of rules that dictate how society must operate.
How then can those who are outside of society (in jail) be allowed to set the rules for society as their right to operate within it been removed?
Therefore until such time as the criminal's rights have been restored to equal that of the others should the criminal be allowed the privilege to vote on points/rules pertaining to that society which they are not allowed to operate in.Posted by: AnonymousShould prisoners around the world have the right to vote?
They are meant to be being punished. Not given opportunities to change things. This shouldn't happen because they have committed a crime. They have harmed someone else. They shouldn't even think about that kind of opportunity! This is a stupid idea. Imagine if your son or daughter was murdered or severely injured. And there killer was put in prison. You wouldn’t want them to vote. Would you?
Posted by: AnonymousPrisoners lose their rights.
If they broke the law, then they lost their individual value. How can we allow a person who has repeatedly broken the law (applies to repeated offenders only) to have a consideration into what the public wants for society. The right to vote should only belong to those who are willing to abide by the rules.
Posted by: AnonymousNo they shouldn't
These are the people who have raped or children, murdered our family, and tortured our neighbors. Not to mention they've stolen our cars too. Do you really want these same people to vote for who's president? Do you think that the man who delinquents approve of would really be a great president? If you don't have a problem with it then that's cool, but I'd prefer to keep the morons from making major decisions like this.
Posted by: Anonymous100% against prisoners voting.
Some prisons hold in excess of 1,500 inmates, all of which would vote in the constituency in which they are currently housed, i.e. in the prison. The mass amounts of extra votes could sway the results of the election at a local and parliamentary level. It's fair to say that some prisoners have extremists views. Could you imagine a mass of prisoners now being able to effectively change government to suit their extreme views? The upcoming promised referendum could end with a vote to leave the EU, after which the end result could untimely be the government rescinding the right to vote (as MPs have already voted against the idea), so why bother with the expense in the interim?
Posted by: AnonymousNo, because prisoners lose their rights when they commit serious crimes.
I feel that when a prisoner or someone commits a serious crime that constitutes a felony, then they are not trustworthy, and should lose their right to vote. I feel this way because they have proven that they do not have enough moral or character to make the right judgement and break laws.
Posted by: SlipArnalI think that prisoners around the world gave up their right to vote when they broke the law.
I think that prisoners around the world gave up their right to vote when they broke the law. They were unable to function in society, so their basic functions in society should be taken away from them -- such as the right to vote. As soon as they prove that they can be a member of society, they should be able to vote and participate in other activities in society.
Posted by: ObaICheesePrisoners should not be allowed to vote!
Firstly, prisoners should not be allowed to vote because they are bad people. They have broken the law that why they are in jail, in that case why should they have the chance to vote their opinion to ammend it. I understand that the ECHR (European Court of Human Rights) has an argument that taking away their right to vote can be seen as infingement of their Human Rights.
My answer to that is they should have thought about the consequences before they went out to commit the crime!Posted by: AnonymousPrisoners serving sentences give up the rights afforded to law-abiding citizens, including the right to vote.
If you are convicted of a felony, then you are no longer allowed to own a firearm or to vote. If you are serving any sentence in prison, you are allowed only fragments of normal life, such as telephone calls or watching TV. These limitations are part of the "punishment" aspect of incarceration. The right to vote is much more than a creature comfort, and should continue to be withheld from current inmates.
Posted by: EweIICistPrisoners should not be given the right to vote in any country.
When someone commits a crime that is punishable by imprisonment, along with their rights to freedom they should lose the right to vote. Voting is participation in an organized civil event and by committing crimes a person has shown given up their place in that organized society. Once a criminal is released from prison, the right to vote should be available to them.
Posted by: babydoll93They have committed a crime!
If a prisoner has decided to break the rules then they should have their rights taken away from them. In prison I'm sure that their first priority is not to vote. Why should prisoners who take the rights away from somebody be allowed to have rights themselves? The way to educate people into a better life after prison if not to give them the vote, it is to educate them and support them whilst they are in prison so that when they come out, they will have a better perspective on life. This way they will then gain the right back to vote and appreciate it much more than voting out of boredom in prison. People saying that they should vote have clearly not been a victim of crime and don't understand how it must feel for the victims if the prisoners who took away their rights, gain rights in prison for committing a crime.
Posted by: AnonymousGoing against the law of the country
Why should they be given the chance to vote? Why should they have a right to say what happens in the country especially when they couldn't give a monkey about the rules of this country? Prisoners have too many privileges as it is, we should never allow them to vote.
Posted by: Rach0705If a prisoner wants to play a part in society then they should have abided by its laws of conduct.
In my own opinion a person who violates the rule of law to the extent that it warrants them losing there liberties. They certainly do not qualify to participate in the processes that decides the path that the nation takes as a hole. The rule of law plays a vital role in any democratic nation due to its importance in upholding the democratic ideals that lie at its heart. A person who violates the values of a society that were established through democratic means(mostly) can not help decide the values of the future. The loss of important liberties is a fine punishment if a person ignores the systems that help make these liberties possible, I believe that is the hole purpose of prison.
The idea of allowing prisoners to have a sizable influence over a democratic society worries me due to results of schemes that have aimed at giving prisoners more involvement in the running of prisons. I believe the scheme was undertaken in Britain but sadly I have not got a reference point available at this time. Never the less the system is that prisoners are given the privilege to be able to elect other prisoners as representatives to take part in the administration of the prison. However the result was creation of a oligarchy due to tobacco & drug barons within the prison system using there influence to get elected and hold control over what is debated amongst these prison councils. It is this sort of culture that must be kept out of mainstream democratic procedures. There is nothing to suggest that powerful barons of the prison system could not influence the result of general election or referendums by applying pressure on fellow inmates. This is a dangerous situation as it opens the doors to politician making concessions to the prisoner population in order to secure votes. To give prisoners the ability to vote is not giving power to the people but to dangerous predatory individuals.
However I do believe the loss of the right to vote should only last the period of the prison sentence and once a person has re-joined the public then they should be on the same level as everyone else. Furthermore do not take this as an attack on people with an opposite perspective it is merely an opinion and I will change my opinion if I am given reason to review my perspective.Posted by: AnonymousNO!
Prisoners should not be able to vote. End of story.
Simply put, any government should reflect the whole of society, if society is producing criminals through social policy leading to I creased unemployment and poverty, then surely, in a democracy, the least amongst us who are caught up in the system should have the right to voice their opinions and cast a vote.Posted by: AnonymousWhy should prisoners vote for the people who enforce the law, when they break it themselves?
When you commit a crime that results in a prison sentence, more than likely you have infringed on someone else's rights so no prisoners should not get the right the vote. Also, if prisoners could vote, they would be effectively be voting for the people that enforce the laws, that they themselves have broken.
Posted by: AnonymousNO, they shouldnt!
I personally think that prisoners shouldn’t vote, if they were dumb enough to dis-obey the law, what makes them able to VOTE to CHANGE the law? They’ll obviously vote the wrong thing, instead of the right? I understand that prisoners are humans too, they are citizens too, but they messed up, they’re locked away, where there is NO communication, which means no voting, nothing to do with the country / town, whatever they live in. Voting is a privilege; they lost their privilege’s to do anything, so why should we let them take part? No. Just no.! If laws are laws, and prisoners decided to break them, theres obviously nothing to do but lock them away from publicity. Prisoners have affected society, laws. Voting is society, if they weren’t dumb enough to get locked up, then they could’ve had the rights to vote, do they now since there locked up? NO.
Posted by: AnonymousPrisoners should not be given the right to vote, because voting is a right for law-abiding citizens.
Prisoners should have their voting rights revoked while they are serving their sentence for crimes that they committed. The right to vote is for law-abiding citizens only. It should be similar to the privilege of getting a drivers license. Your license can be taken away for driving violations. Voting should be for productive members of society.
Posted by: AbidingDaren81We must not keep on eroding our laws
Yes we take someone's driving licence away from them if they build up enough points on their licence or drink and drive. I am fined for parking on double yellow lines or when my ticket runs out. I could say its my human right to park where I like and for as long as I want to, and without the worry of a fine or someone clamping my vehicle. Come on, we know the human rights for me will never come about, so why should it for prisoners.
Posted by: dhomer24Once you have been placed in prison due to committing a crime your privileges such as this should be taken from you.
When a criminal commits a crime freedoms are taken away from them and therefore they are placed in jail. Why should they be given a privilege such as voting that people have earned. No one who has committed any type of crime should be allowed to vote until they are out of jail and have paid their dues to society.
Posted by: B3rkIffyPrisoners should not have the right to vote. When they break the law they should not have any say on future laws.
Prisoners are people who have broken the law, and therefore show no respect for the law. People who have no respect for the law should not have any say in future laws. With the number of felons out there it would be very sad to see politicians trying to win the "con" vote.
Posted by: KerbyLuvNo, but they should when they are released.
I believe that right should not be taken away forever. Once they've served their time and they've completed their parole, that right should be restored. If they end up back in prison the right is taken away permanently. Just my opinion, but if a person is reformed in prison and is allowed to re-enter society they should have their rights returned. Maybe not the right to bear arms (depending on their crimes) but certainly the right to vote.
Posted by: AnonymousLoss Of Liberty
So you've broken the law and been sent to prison. You have lost your liberty as a result. The criminal has been removed from society as the criminal can't obey the laws and function in society. Why should someone have a say in how society operates if they are not able to function in said society?
Posted by: Anonymous