Convicted prisoners to get vote

[2shoes]

not sure what I think of this
should they be allowed to vote ??

Well the idea isn't great, but I suppose it doesn't matter that much because they're aren't going to be many politicians pandering to the prisoners' vote, are there? Shorter jail sentences for rapists! less severe penalties for parole violators!

I think that prisoners should get the vote as I think that all adults should be allowed to be involved in the democratic system.

I do not think that they should be allowed. Basically, I believe that if you break the law and you go to jail. Being in jail means losing your freedom as punishment. The right to vote is an expression of freedom.

trouble is it looks like if they don't let them the prisoners can get compensation!!

Treating prisoners like animals doesn't benefit society in the long-run. Teaching prisoners to participate constructively in society, voting included, is part of the rehabilitation process. Being denied physical freedom is punishment enough.

' Being denied physical freedom is punishment enough.'

Too bad plenty of them don't see it that way.

Is being in prison and being denied personal freedom not a big enough punishment for their wrongs. Contrary to certain peoples belief prisons are not holiday camps.

Most prisoners (who commit serious crimes) have said that rehabilitation is a load of crap. No one is rehabilitated until they decided they are themselves.

Anyway, you go to jail you get fed, medical and dental treatment, tv, video games, courses to study, a gym etc

Such a hard life they lead.

Pesonally I don't think they should - voting is a right as well as a duty - and I think the European Court has no place deciding this for the UK.

How would this work in practice? IMO anyone who enters a plea of insanity should have the right to vote removed as they're incapable of making a reasoned judgement, just the same as anyone who is sectioned at the time of an election.

they haven't said all category of prisioners would get it.

i think they should though, human right

"Anyway, you go to jail you get fed, medical and dental treatment, tv, video games, courses to study, a gym etc"

Whereas if we locked them in an empty cell with no food, let them fall ill without treatment, have nothing to occupy their time and basically pretend they cease to exist as human beings, they'd come out the other side of that experience less likely to go back to a life of crime...?

"Shorter jail sentences for rapists! less severe penalties for parole violators!"

Must have missed those bits in the recent manifestos I ploughed through. FGS. As if that has ever been a policy of any mainstream political party.

I can't believe that anyone would actually consider that denying the right to vote to those vulnerable to political will is a good idea.

But it is meant to be a punishment. Why should they have access to things that for example pensioners do not?

Make them work. Do something that benefits society to make up for their crime. They do not need computer games and sky tv.

And Chil, I never said take away their food etc. This is not south america.

I'm not sure what the actual principle is behind this? The right to vote is a right conferred by society, not a fundamental human right. As such, it is not unreasonable for society to withdraw the right it has conferred on an individual under some circumstances.

The European Court has actually agreed that some prisoners should not be allowed to vote, but haven't been able (in 4 or 5 years?) to come up with any real ideas as to how to differentiate between prisoners who retain the right and those who lose it.

This, in my view, underpins the stance that the right to vote is only a right conferred by society which can be therefore be withdrawn. Therefore, the European Court is simply running up its own arsehole.

'Pesonally I don't think they should - voting is a right'

I think that all citizens should have a right to vote, whatever they have done. They are still part of the country, even if they are prisoners. The problem with viewing voting as being a right to be earned is, where will it end? Will people one day be disenfranchised for failing to pay their parking fines? Some states in America disenfranchise all prisoners who have committed a crime, even if they have served their sentence.

I am unclear whether a prisoner will be deemed to have postal voted in the constituency where he/she lived before being jailed or whether the whole prison will be deemed to be in the constituency in which it is physically located.

If the entire prison votes in the constituency it is physically located in this could cause a major problem as a big priosn voting as a block on a single issue related to prisoners would undoubtedly have a huge influence on the outcome of that seat. If prisoner votes were treated as postal votes and distributed across the whole country I can live with it but still dont think it a good idea.

i think the problem I have with it is that is you comit a crime like say , murder you have taken away someone else human rights, so why should you keep yours and get to vote.
i do wonder if this is just another case of making criminals into victims.

out of interest though, if you are on remand and not yet found guilty of a crime, do you get to vote then?

Beenbeta from my research prisoners will still be counted as members of their former consituency, which presents problems for those of 'no fixed address'.

hmm interesting one - I think it would depend on the crime committed as to how I'd feel about it.

There are some very vile people, who have committed no "crime", but have abhorrent views who are allowed to vote - and vote for parties with abhorrent ideas. You can be scum - and have the rights of a normal human being - without being a criminal.

Is someone who has been jailed for not paying their council tax (for example) really any worse than someone who thinks supports the BNP's racist, homophobic, misogynistic, disability hate views (but doesn't actually "act" on them)?

MaMoTTaT good point
I suppose there is a chance that some convicted criminals might have better views than some so called decent people.
I still wonder about remand though

No I don't think they should. I don't think they should be allowed to get married whilst in prison either. I'd go further and say that I would consider withdrawing the right to vote ever again, for persistent criminals even when they are not actually in prison. A sort of 'three strikes and you're out' policy.

The "taken away someone else's human rights so you should lose yours" argument isn't 100% clear though - otherwise it would need to be more literal and all murderers or people who cause someone else to die (eg. through careless driving, manslaughter) should be executed.

I can't believe it's taken this long for the government to catch up with the law - and I know it's not just this lot but the last one that dawdled as well. It's hardly setting a good example to the populace if the government drags its feet on keeping up with human rights legislation just because they don't much feel like complying with it.

Upon refelction, maybe the above comment is a bit OTT - lots of people get inot trouble with the law persistently as youngsters and sort themselves out and become responsible adults eventually - so maybe the ban on voting would last for say, 10 years, but if you get one more conviction you lose it again.

Having said that, I'm not sure many persistent criminals bother to vote anyway!