Should prisoners around the world have the right to vote?

Topic:
Crime Debates

16 Contributors
in this discussion.

Yes
38% of users

  • I 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.

    Yes TickoCa22

  • Unless 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.

    Yes CI3Iike

  • I 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.

    Yes Elliot Maxwell

  • It 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.

    Yes 54uIIan

  • Yes, 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.

    Yes R43Shep

  • Prisoners 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.

    Yes E Olson
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No
63% of users

  • Prisoners 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.

    No ender31444

  • Prisoners 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.

    No AbidingDaren81

  • Prisoners 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.

    No EweIICist

  • No, 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.

    No SlipArnal

  • Prisoners 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.

    No KerbyLuv

  • 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.

    No R34d3Homey

  • Prisoners 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.

    No babydoll93

  • I 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.

    No ObaICheese

  • What 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.

    No Bear

  • Once 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.

    No B3rkIffy
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