Prisoners. Should they have the right to vote?

BBC News - Prisoners serving less than a year 'should get the vote'

Beware the slippery slope, if this goes through. It won't take long before the tax payer is funding all manner of legal claims for inmates not covered by the parameters of this draft, stating that they too should have the right to vote, blah blah blah.

A prisoner should not have any rights, other than a right to food, a shower and a toilet. That's it. Simple.

In a real world, where those who support society are more important than those who do not, a proposal such as this would never even be conceived. I must deduce therefore, that this is not a real world, I am living in a dream. What kind of a brain could dream this shit up? I am clearly clinically insane!

If this gets passed, I vow never to post here, or anywhere else again. I simply cannot stand to be involved in the crap that we are subjected to these days as my opinions are clearly either too extreme and out of touch, or irrelevant due to being completely ignored simply for not being 'left' enough.
 

Larry L.

Lifetime Supporter
Oooooooh, HECK yes! Let 'em ALL vote! I see nothing whatsoever wrong with that! What could it possibly hurt?




That's one of the dumbest ideas I've ever heard. It had to have come from a lefty. ('Serious. 'Had to. No one else could be that irresponsible. That 'Blunt' guy is no conservative...'don't care what 'label' is attached to him in the article.)

Here in the U.S. it's been proposed by some in the past that FELONS ought to have their right to vote restored once they're out of the slammer. Aaaaaand of course the ACLU (no outfit is further left) was (and STILL is, no doubt) right in the thick of it:

https://www.aclu.org/voting-rights/aclu-wa-supports-new-legislation-restore-voting-rights-ex-felons

https://www.aclu.org/voting-rights/...senfranchisement-law-reform-urges-legislators
 
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Keith

Moderator
I see nothing wrong in restoring 'rights' once a sentence has been served and the offender rehabilitated. Take away all their 'rights' ad infinitum and you are looking to hike the murder rate exponentially.
 

Keith

Moderator
NO

But then the only people responding are WOGGs

Ian

A good point Ian. Taking it one step further, has any WOGG here been convicted of a crime and incarcerated?

If you commit a crime against society then you should lose the right to say how that society is run, until such time as society deems you rehabilitated.

And remember, this stuff comes from the Court of Human Rights, AKA the EU who, according to various treaties that we are supposed to have signed, means they have power over our respective sovereign rights.

T'ain't right Ian. T'ain't right.
 
"And remember, this stuff comes from the Court of Human Rights, AKA the EU who, according to various treaties that we are supposed to have signed, means they have power over our respective sovereign rights".

I've been preaching that for years!
 

Keith

Moderator
"And remember, this stuff comes from the Court of Human Rights, AKA the EU who, according to various treaties that we are supposed to have signed, means they have power over our respective sovereign rights".

I've been preaching that for years!

Good man!

However you are too far away. Either buy a bigger sound system or move to Brussels.
 
Larry, you are the expert...............

What does the Constitution say?
What does it matter Jim, you propose to change every article in it that you disagree with, don't you?

@Larry, I agree with our esteemed leader, in that once your time is served, your right's, whatever they may be, that were denied you during your sentence, should be returned to you.
 

Larry L.

Lifetime Supporter
@Larry, I agree with our esteemed leader, in that once your time is served, your right's, whatever they may be, that were denied you during your sentence, should be returned to you.

Any offense one commits that's serious enough to remove ones right to vote in the 1st place IMHO is serious enough to remove it permanently.

I'm a WOGG after all...ya know?
 
There is a logic in criminal psychology which goes along the following.... Any chance to allow incarcerated individuals to engage in civilized and socially responsible behavior is a helpful activity in re-engaging these individuals in civilized and acceptable behavioral patterns.

Voting is a civilized activity....in fact, one of the most civilized...so perhaps giving criminals the chance to vote gives them a sense that they matter from a social standpoint and reinforces to them that society hasn't completely written them off.

That said, life in prison should be hard...that's the motivation to get out...and, more importantly, not go back. Instead of ping pong and leisurely walks around the yard it should be chain gang rock breaking, fire hose showers, and mystery gruel for dinner....
 
@ Larry: But that suggest that all punishment should be never-ending Larry. If the crime is serious enough to warrant a life term, then that is that. If not, having served your sentence, you are returned to society. You can't be partially returned.

One has to allow for the possibility of rehabilitation and I do believe that some criminals are remorseful and would never re-offend.

Edited to respond to Cliff, with whom I rarely agree, but yes prison should tough. Bread and water in a dark hole if you ask me.

However, whilst I agree that encouragement to engage in society is an element toward rehabilitation, again, one can go too far. Whilst serving a ban from driving, one is not allowed to drive.

A person who has broken the laws of society, to the extent that they are incarcerated, should not, during the term of imprisonment, be allowed to have a say in how society should be run. Serve your time, perhaps learn new skills, maybe even enrol in an educational course, to better prepare you for re-entering the workplace. However, I will never accept that a person in prison should be allowed to influence who gets to govern me!
 
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Larry L.

Lifetime Supporter
@ Larry: But that suggest that all punishment should be never-ending Larry. If the crime is serious enough to warrant a life term, then that is that. If not, having served your sentence, you are returned to society. You can't be partially returned.

BUT - part of the sentence itself is the loss of the right to vote. That's part of the punishment. The law doesn't say the right to vote is simply 'suspended' for a time concurrent with a person's stay in the slammer.

'Fines' aren't returned to people who've paid them once they've been paid, are they? 'Kinda the same diff IMHO.
 
Over here, we don't allow criminals to vote after they are convicted--felonies at least result in a lifetime ban, as far as I know. (Don't know about misdemeanors).

However, all criminals are allowed to vote as long as they aren't yet convicted of their crimes. Then, instead of being called 'criminals', they are called by their proper name, which is, of course, 'Democrats'. :laugh:
 

Jim Craik

Lifetime Supporter
Over here, we don't allow criminals to vote after they are convicted--felonies at least result in a lifetime ban, as far as I know. (Don't know about misdemeanors).posted by Mike

BUT - part of the sentence itself is the loss of the right to vote. That's part of the punishment. The law doesn't say the right to vote is simply 'suspended' for a time concurrent with a person's stay in the slammer. Posted by Larry

As we know, facts and Republicans do not really go together, but.......:)

Mike, Larry, you may want to check again, you would not want to misslead anyone.

Prisoners voting in US elections

Prisoner voting rights are a state issue, so the laws are different from state to state. Some states allow only individuals on probation. Others allow individuals on parole and probation. As of 2011, only two states, Kentucky and Virginia, continue to impose a lifelong denial of the right to vote to all citizens with a felony record, absent a restoration of rights granted by the Governor or state legislature.[31] However, in Kentucky, a felon's rights can now be restored after the completion of a restoration process to regain civil rights.[31]

**************

Once again I repeat myself, but its not hard to check before you post, it will save you the embarrassment of once again having a Democrat point out your errors.
 
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