I had to research about prisoners having the capability to vote and what the government were doing about it, i found out that prisoners are currently not allowed to vote, the prisoner on remand are allowed to vote, the people on remand are not actual prisoner, these are the people who have committed a crime but they are still waiting for the court case to finish against them. The European Court of Human Rights have said that stopping people voting just because they are in prison is against the law because they do not have their human rights, even though these people are being punished for crime, this court still suggests they should have their human rights and be able to vote, because of The European Court of Human Rights there was a debate held in government to decide whether the law should be less strict and whether at least some prisoners should be able to vote depending on the seriousness of their crime. The Prime Minister, David Cameron said very single minded, that the idea of letting prisoners vote makes him feel ‘physically ill’. In February 2012, MP’s voted to keep the current ban on prisoner not being able to vote and not even to weaken the law. In 2001 John Hurst, convicted killer, imprisoned for manslaughter tried to take the government to court for taking away his human rights but unfortunately the case was dismissed, but in 2004 the European Court of Human Rights considered John Hurst’s opinion and tried to legalise voting for prisoners but was rejected by the British Parliament.
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I personally think that prisoners not being able to vote is wrong, their punishment is spending time in prison and being behind bars and not being able to do things they wish which I completely agree with if they have done somet...
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...ote as well as all of that but the argument against that was, what difference would it make if they could vote when they already have all of those privileges. I think my opinion about letting prisoners vote in politics is quite a strong opinion and don’t think it could be changed, after doing all the research that was necessary, taking part in the debate and writing this report I think my opinions have become stronger on the subject and has let me really think about people in prison and their privileges, etc. I still think that prisoner should be able to vote, we live in a democratic country and part of democracy is human rights and letting the public have their say, prisoners are still the public whether they are behind steel bars or not, the people who are involved in government and law are still going to affect prisoners so why should they not be allowed to vote?
Inmates should be allowed to sue if they are deprived of certain programs, services, or amenities. I believe that inmates are in prison to be rehabilitated and punished. Therefore, inmates should have access to drug or alcohol treatment programs. This is not only extremely beneficial to inmates wanting to get clean, but it is a great opportunity to help inmates make crucial behavioral changes. If inmates are denied of this right, they should be able to sue, because it is one of the essential steps in their rehabilitation. Many individuals that are in prison have a drug or alcohol problem; therefore, they deserve to have the resources to get better otherwise they are only going to continue to do what they have been doing. Prisoners need to be rehabilitated, because punishing them is not going to fix all of their behavioral
Most politicians argue that because a felon has committed a crime that their judgment can no longer be trusted. Some believe that they gave up there civil liberties when they chose to commit a crime. However, with the exception of children and the mentally incompetent, people who have to live with the consequences of an election should have their opinion counted. Convicts lose their civil rights while incarcerated. Others who agree with felons regaining their voting rights argued that if they really could not be trusted to change then they should never be let out of prison. Although they lost their civil liberties w...
Many people believe that felons do not deserve the right to vote. For these people, voting is not an inherent right; rather it is a privilege given to deserving people that wish to make a positive change to their lives. Some believe that, “…there is no reason for a felon to vote or to debate about whether or not they have that right…they made the choice to break the law, so why should they have any say in making it?” {Siegel} In this point of view, giving felons the right to vote is similar to rewarding them. With the right to vote, felons are still able to sway decisions regarding the lives of a society they are no longer a part of. Felons are meant to be punished, stripped of numerous rights including that of voting. Punishments, then, are made to restrict a person, not give them more freedom and decision.
Instead of prisoners just sitting in a cell doing nothing, why not put them to work, "Every inmate that works saves taxpayers $5,000 a year"(Smith). There are prisoners that work in greenhouses, that generated $57 million in revenue. As budget cuts rise working prisoners become more and more valuable. Inmates are finding ways to save money by recycling there old mattress, that would of end up in landfills. Some prisons even have their inmates help clean up dirty parks around them. While the prisoners are doing this they are learning skills , that will help them with different jobs. Prisoners that do a good job get rewarded with money bonuses. Prisoners learning how to be more responsible and understand how to become a better person will help them in the up coming future. With the prisoners getting paid for bonuses for good work this will make it feel as if it’s a real job. The experience that the inmates are receiving will help them with jobs once they are released from prison. Prisoners will strive to do better with the bonuses they are receiving, and will understand again what its like work. Now with this happening this will ensure the prisoners will have a better and healthier
The Human Rights Act of 1998 was co-founded upon the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 1950. Developed following the ending of the Second World War, European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) was constructed to further the idealistic principles and endeavours of equality among all human beings, as well as a devout declaration of preventing the reoccurrence of the holocaust and massacres which have occurred as a casus belli . ECHR comprises civil privileges and liberties fundamental to all human beings irrespective of race, gender, age, sexual orientation exclusive of discrimination. The UK government have promptly endorsed the ECHR, recognising the need of ...
26, 2007 editorial "Another No Vote on Felons," published in the Washington Times: “Even in nearby Massachusetts, no stranger to progressivism, voters in 2000 supported a constitutional amendment to bar inmates from voting. The reason is clear: Most people think perpetrators of serious crimes have violated the public trust and cannot be permitted to help determine the future of the communities they harmed”. This view point is helpful to help undecided people see the potential harm of letting free convicted prisoners vote. Also, it is interesting how the very thought of convicted felons vote places such concern in the law abiding citizens’ thoughts. One may notice that particular past criminals may not have the best interest in what best for the community. Furthermore, one may notice that prisoners may be cut off from the events of the world, and wouldn’t have information to help them elect officials for the communities they may harmed. In, addition this may be true under the circumstance that some felons are not capable of making great choices for the community as a whole. As well as, if they have harmed the community they shouldn’t be able to vote on the wellbeing of the people they have
Should Felons Lose the Right to Vote? Retrieved from http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/03/22/should-felons-lose-the-right-to-vote/. Karlan, Pamela (2004). The 'Pale of the 'Pale of the 'Pale of the "Convictions and Doubts: Retribution, Representation, and the Debate" over Felon Disenfranchisement," Stanford Law Review, Vol. 78, No. 1, pp 56, No. 2 -. 5, Krajick, Kevin. The Species of the World.
This type of legislation has been devised to allow for the detention of people based upon assessments of risk of re-offending, this essay will explore the concerns with these practices. This essay further aims to explore the moral and practical implications of such sentencing provisions and the impact it has on the whole Justice System. The writer will also address the conflicting goals of Corrections and the purpose and impact of indefinite sentencing while exploring the justifications against such legislation. This essay also aims to show that even though we may feel disgust for these types of offences we must remember the fundamentals of the Criminal Law system and understand that people are entitled to equality and fairness in the eyes of the law.
Criminal disenfranchisement is defined as the loss of the right to vote by a person convicted of or sentenced to imprisonment for a felony. Since before the civil war, this practice has been a part of the United States justice system mostly as a means to handle the racial issues with voting but then also in regards to the felons and rebels that participated in the Southern “rebellion” during the Civil War. This practice has recently gained some popularity since a debate has developed as to whether it is unconstitutional or not. Is voting a right or a privilege?
The reliance on the prison system as a primary means of social control or as a means of financial stability (increasing profits) shifts power away from a true democracy and gives too much power to the states and the corporate/industrialized world. The criminal justice system is almost like a powerful, overzealous, racist machine just waiting to take advantage of the impoverished citizens of the lower class – the blacks and Latinos.
Uggen, Christopher, and Jeff Manza. "Why Should Felons Vote?" Democracys Ghost. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.
Not only do inmates lose their freedom; they also lose their independence, self-worth, identity, recreational outlets and above all else their privacy. What people in general fail to realize is that everything that we have and that is around us take for granted. Anything and everything can easily be taken away from us, which is how prison security trumps everyday activities, leading all inmates into questioning their personhood. Not only are prisoners stripped of their status to call themselves human beings, prisoners also have to conform to a new type of community, and if you do not do it, you will become a victim.
Have you ever wondered why people are so interested to learn about the suffrage of others? Over twenty-five years, the population of prisoners has nearly sextulped. Reaching about 1.7 million since 1996, which is almost equal to the population to Houston, Texas, the fourth largest city in the nation (Elliott Currie). All we focus on is how they did it? and why? In other words, many people interpret crime as entertainment, and don’t think about the negative effects taking place in the world or even more that individual. In some cases the innocent are being accused of unlikely punishment but how do they determine? Considerably, the death penalty has been the topic of discussion these past years. This so called “penalty” is becoming the prime consequence in most cases. I think that the use of the death penalty as punishment is wrong because of the psychological effects it has on prisoners, time spent on death row in cases of innocents, and the costly outcome.
Prison has been around in human society for many millions of years. Having someone who disobeyed the law of that village, town, city or country punished in some form of institution, cutting them off from people, is a common concept – a popular and supposedly “needed” process society has taken to doing for many years now has been put under the spotlight many times by many different figures and people in society. The question remains – do prisons only make people worse? Many articles have been published in many journals and newspapers of the western world (mainly the USA, UK and Australia) saying prison only makes a person worse yet no complaint of the method has come from the less liberal eastern societies; this only proves how in countries where the rights of humans are valued such issues as if prisons only make people worse are important and relevant to keeping fair to all.
Offenders are protected today by both the rule of law, ensuring that all offenders are treated equally, regardless of their age, sex or position in the community, and due process, which ensures that all offenders are given a fair trial with the opportunity to defend themselves and be heard (Williams, 2012). Beccaria’s emphasis on punishment being humane and non-violent has also carried through to modern day corrections. It is still the case today that offenders must only receive punishment that is proportionate to the crime they have committed and the punishment is determined by the law. The power of the judges and the magistrates to make decisions on punishment is guided by the legislation and they do not have the power to change the law (Ferrajoli,