Prisoners' right to vote?

[D_Relentless Original]

The government is set to allow prisoners the vote but it wants the right limited to those sentenced to a year or less, rather than the four years previously considered.

The move comes seven years after the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg ruled that banning convicted killer John Hirst from the polls had breached his right to participate in the democratic process.

If a person is guilty of convicting a crime and is sent to prison to serve the sentence for that crime, then should they not have the right to vote?

Is it really a breach of their Human rights?

Also, how can it be decided that some can vote and some cannot vote dependant on their sentence time? would that not be discrimination?

Whats your opinion? should prisoners lose the right to vote?

 

[D_Jared Padalicki]

Prisoners should loose that right.
They choose to commit a crime, to ruin other ones their lives, well then take that right to choose/vote from them.
For many of them the power of opinion is their strongest characteristic. It's best to not give them the chance to use that opinion again.

 

[nudeyorker]

It's just wording but I think anyone in prison should loose the privilege to vote while incarcerated. I don't think it's a right it's a privilege.
Meanwhile many states don't allow someone out of prison on parole to vote and many are disenfranchised from voting depending on the severity of their crime. While I disagree with this I personally feel if someone has paid their debt to society with prison service the privilege to vote should be restored.

The link is a breakdown of this issue in the US.
State Felon Voting Laws - Felon Voting - ProCon.org

 

[luka82]

In my country everyone who is of legal age (18) has the right to vote. I believe prisoners vote too. And they shouldn`t lose that right. They might have commited crimes but they are citizens too.

 

[D_Relentless Original]

Prisoners should loose that right.
They choose to commit a crime, to ruin other ones their lives, well then take that right to choose/vote from them.
For many of them the power of opinion is their strongest characteristic. It's best to not give them the chance to use that opinion again.

It's just wording but I think anyone in prison should loose the privilege to vote while incarcerated. I don't think it's a right it's a privilege.
Meanwhile many states don't allow someone out of prison on parole to vote and many are disenfranchised from voting depending on the severity of their crime. While I disagree with this I personally feel if someone has paid their debt to society with prison service the privilege to vote should be restored.

The link is a breakdown of this issue in the US.
State Felon Voting Laws - Felon Voting - ProCon.org

Good points, I also agree that it is a privilege and not a Right.

 

[Kotchanski]

I don't see why they shouldn't be allowed to vote...

Committing a crime has nothing to do with their ability to make educated decisions about the future of their country, I'd guess that a good 80% of people voting these days haven't got the first clue as to what those being voted for stand for, we really aren't in any position to be narrowing the voting pool based on criminal activities... If anything, we should be narrowing it based on knowing what you're actually voting for in the first damn place.

 

[424365]

By violating the law which our democracy is based upon should they still be allowed to participate in the democratic process? I think not, they may vote in a bias fashion hoping whomever they vote for shortens their sentencing.

 

[hypoc8]

I don't think they should be allowed to vote while in prison.

 

[D_Relentless Original]

In my country everyone who is of legal age (18) has the right to vote. I believe prisoners vote too. And they shouldn`t lose that right. They might have commited crimes but they are citizens too.

Citizenship carries with it both rights and responsibilities. Citizens should work to the betterment of their communities through economic participation and efforts to better improve life for all citizens, this gives the right to also receive protection from that same community. IMO they have violated their right by breaking the law and should lose that privilage until they have served their sentence.

 

[midlifebear]

In my country everyone who is of legal age (18) has the right to vote. I believe prisoners vote too. And they shouldn`t lose that right. They might have commited crimes but they are citizens too.

Yeah, but Luka, Sesame Street follows a completely different set of rules and regulations than the rest of the world. :smile:

 

[Average_joe]

It's just wording but I think anyone in prison should loose the privilege to vote while incarcerated. I don't think it's a right it's a privilege.
Meanwhile many states don't allow someone out of prison on parole to vote and many are disenfranchised from voting depending on the severity of their crime. While I disagree with this I personally feel if someone has paid their debt to society with prison service the privilege to vote should be restored.

The link is a breakdown of this issue in the US.
State Felon Voting Laws - Felon Voting - ProCon.org

My state, Minnesota, restores voting rights upon completion of all terms of sentence, which includes parole and probation. I've always thought of this as a fair way to do it, as one is not permanently disenfranchised, but has the ability to regain one's voting rights. At the same time, it isn't automatically giving them back willy-nilly, and requires those convicted to show that they desire to be a law-abiding citizen who deserves such responsibilities.

 

[D_Jared Padalicki]

..
Committing a crime has nothing to do with their ability to make educated decisions about the future of their country ....

I'd guess that a good 80% of people voting these days haven't got the first clue as to what those being voted for stand for, .....

I disagree firmly.
Committing a crime has alot to do with their ability to make educated decisions. Also the decisions about the future of their country.
If they would make educated decisions they wouldn't commit the crime.
Most of those prisoners are extreme and firmly believe that their opinion/their viewpoints are correct on the whole community. That what they believe should be. They condition people with their words, most of them are masters in that. Don't give them that right either.
They are in prison for a reason.

But I do agree that most people don't have a clue about politics. But that is not our fault. That is the fault of the politicians who don't bother to explain.

 

[D_Relentless Original]

My state, Minnesota, restores voting rights upon completion of all terms of sentence, which includes parole and probation. I've always thought of this as a fair way to do it, as one is not permanently disenfranchised, but has the ability to regain one's voting rights. At the same time, it isn't automatically giving them back willy-nilly, and requires those convicted to show that they desire to be a law-abiding citizen who deserves such responsibilities.

Joe, now that seems a fair process.

 

[accemb]

Citizenship carries with it both rights and responsibilities. Citizens should work to the betterment of their communities through economic participation and efforts to better improve life for all citizens, this gives the right to also receive protection from that same community. IMO they have violated their right by breaking the law and should lose that privilage until they have served their sentence.

In total agreement, Tardis. The loss of the privilege to vote is part of paying a criminal's debt back to society. In my mind, there is no room for argument.

 

[798686]

It's just wording but I think anyone in prison should loose the privilege to vote while incarcerated. I don't think it's a right it's a privilege.

I totally agree. It's a constitutional right rather than a human one - and when you're locked away for whatever offence, you forfeit those rights to influence society in general.

@AvJoe - Yep, that sounds fair. People shouldn't lose that right forever, just during the term of their sentence.

 

[Kotchanski]

I disagree firmly.
Committing a crime has alot to do with their ability to make educated decisions. Also the decisions about the future of their country.
If they would make educated decisions they wouldn't commit the crime.
Most of those prisoners are extreme and firmly believe that their opinion/their viewpoints are correct on the whole community. That what they believe should be. They condition people with their words, most of them are masters in that. Don't give them that right either.
They are in prison for a reason.

But I do agree that most people don't have a clue about politics. But that is not our fault. That is the fault of the politicians who don't bother to explain.

I'm not going to debate with you as to the reasons someone is in prison, anyone with half a brain knows that there are not only countless innocent people in prison but countless people who are there by an unfortunate set of circumstances, pure desperation and various other reasons that don't equate to them being the type of person you describe.

 

[Hoss]

No easy answers. I personally feel that if convicted of a felony or misdemeanor then for the duration of incarceration that privilege should be suspended. After release if a 1st time offender the right should be restored. If there are multiple convictions the right should be permanently revoked even if they are released again regardless the level of the crime ( mugger, burglar, killer, rapist, child molester, petty thief, embezzler, drug dealer, etc., etc.).

 

[accemb]

No easy answers. I personally feel that if convicted of a felony or misdemeanor then for the duration of incarceration that privilege should be suspended. After release if a 1st time offender the right should be restored. If there are multiple convictions the right should be permanently revoked even if they are released again regardless the level of the crime ( mugger, burglar, killer, rapist, child molester, petty thief, embezzler, drug dealer, etc., etc.).

Well said, Hoss.... I agree thoroughly.

 

[D_Jared Padalicki]

I'm not going to debate with you as to the reasons someone is in prison, anyone with half a brain knows that there are not only countless innocent people in prison but countless people who are there by an unfortunate set of circumstances, pure desperation and various other reasons that don't equate to them being the type of person you describe.

Don't think I'm narrow minded. I'm not saying these stuff because I just want to. I do believe I have proper reasons to say these things.
And I'm more then aware that there are "innocent" people in there. But yet, where to draw the line of rights for them.
Like many said above: You don't earn the right to vote if you can't live the rights. And you certainly can't decide that one prisoner can vote and the other one not. Once in prison: no right to vote. Outside prison, accepted in the community: yes, then they can.

 

[MarkLondon]

Voting is not a privelege, it's a right that people have died for. If you're going to allow non-aristocrats and non-property owning oiks to vote, why not prisoners too? MPs don't have to resign their seats unless their sentance is over one year, and there's more than a few ex-cons in the House of Lords who weren't deprived of their seats when they were convicted.