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Thread: Should prisoners be allowed to vote?

  1. #1
    Administrator CatInASuit's avatar
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    Default Should prisoners be allowed to vote?

    A major upcoming debate in the UK parliament is over the voting rights of prisoners and whether they should be allowed to vote in elections.

    The European Court of Human Rights has stated that as there is no law against it, that criminals should be allowed to vote. Indeed in several countries in Europe prisoners do have right to vote, some countries have limited the prisoners voting rights and some have a blanket ban on it.

    So should prisoners be allowd to vote and if so should it be restricted to some of them or should all people have the right to vote?
    In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.

  2. #2
    Elen síla lumenn' omentielvo What Exit?'s avatar
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    Tough question, I see no good reason to allow prisoners to vote and no good reason to not allow it. In the US we allow prisoners to vote.

    What are the reasons to not allow it?

  3. #3
    my god, he's full of stars... OneCentStamp's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by What Exit? View post
    In the US we allow prisoners to vote.
    Not always. It varies by state, and by crime. In fact, in some states, convicted felons can't vote even after they're out of prison.
    "You laugh at me because I'm different; I laugh at you because I'm on nitrous."

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    Elephant Ramses's avatar
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    Sure, why not?

    At least in prison there's usually a library.

    I can't say much in regards to those who prefer to spend their nights at Wal-Mart, and they get to vote.

  5. #5
    I've had better days, but I don't care! hatesfreedom's avatar
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    In Virginia you lose your right to vote for at least 3 years after your sentence is completed and up to 5 years if it was a violent felony or something in that category. It also seems like the actual restoration of each persons voting rights is not certain even if you have met the time requirements, depends on if anybody believes you've actually changed for the better.

    Either way, tell the European Court to go fuck itself and maintain your quirky UK independence.

  6. #6
    Prehistoric Bitchslapper Sarahfeena's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by hatesfreedom View post
    Either way, tell the European Court to go fuck itself and maintain your quirky UK independence.
    First off, yes to this.

    In answer to the question, though, I don't have a problem with not allowing prisoners to vote. I'm ok with the logic that you behave in a way contrary to civilized society, then you don't get to participate in civilized society. That's what being in prison is all about, after all. Although I do disagree with losing voting rights in perpetuity...once you've paid your debt to society, you've paid it.

  7. #7
    Administrator CatInASuit's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by hatesfreedom View post
    Either way, tell the European Court to go fuck itself and maintain your quirky UK independence.
    And it looks as the the MPs are about to go and do this. There is a free vote on the matter, ie. not driven by party lines, and a cross party amendment which says that the decision can only be made by British Law.

    One of the counter argument being used is that by removing a prisoner's right to vote, we are effectively ostracising them from society and will feel alienated because they did not have a chance to have their say on society.

    Personally, if they have committed a crime which warrants them losing their liberty and not be part of society, they lose the right to determine who society governs itself.
    In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.

  8. #8
    Member Elendil's Heir's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Sarahfeena View post
    ...I don't have a problem with not allowing prisoners to vote. I'm ok with the logic that you behave in a way contrary to civilized society, then you don't get to participate in civilized society. That's what being in prison is all about, after all. Although I do disagree with losing voting rights in perpetuity...once you've paid your debt to society, you've paid it.
    I agree with this completely. If you're imprisoned, you lose many rights, one of which, I think, ought to be the right to vote and to participate in the governance of the republic. But once you're released and have completed probation or parole (if imposed), your full rights as a citizen should restored.

    Cecil refers to this website; worth a look: http://www.sentencingproject.org/tem...age.cfm?id=133
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 10 Feb 2011 at 10:11 AM.

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    aka ivan the not-quite-as-terrible ivan astikov's avatar
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    You should only be denied the right to vote if you wont be getting out at any point during the time your vote will take effect.
    To sleep, perchance to experience amygdalocortical activation and prefrontal deactivation.

  10. #10
    Aged Turtle Wizard Clothahump's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Sarahfeena View post
    In answer to the question, though, I don't have a problem with not allowing prisoners to vote. I'm ok with the logic that you behave in a way contrary to civilized society, then you don't get to participate in civilized society. That's what being in prison is all about, after all. Although I do disagree with losing voting rights in perpetuity...once you've paid your debt to society, you've paid it.
    I believe that if you are convicted of a felony crime against a person, you should be disenfranchised permanently. Other than that, I agree with you.
    Political correctness will be the death of our country.

  11. #11
    Administrator CatInASuit's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Clothahump View post
    I believe that if you are convicted of a felony crime against a person, you should be disenfranchised permanently. Other than that, I agree with you.
    Why is this? I thought the point of prison was to both punish and rehabilitate those convicted of crimes. Given that most crimes in one way or another can be said to be committed against a person or persons.

    If they have been released from prison then they have served their time and should be accorded the rights they lost due to their crime. Of course, if the felony is so great they end of serving for Life, then they never will vote again.
    In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.

  12. #12
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    I'm confused. They're planning on taking away voting rights for the Irish?

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