http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12233938

Why should prisoners get the right to vote. I learnt about rights/responsibilies in school.

It seems to me that if someone ignores their responsibility to society and violates the laws of it, they lose their right to decide who runs it.

Sorry if this is trolling just wanted to see where my moral compass was ponting.

To encourage social inclusion, as part of a process of reintegration into society rather than perpetual exclusion, hopefully leading to a reduction in our colossal re-offending rates?

I think it’s the French who have a clever idea on this. If I’m right, in their system the judge can add a “lose the right to vote” clause to the sentence if it is deemed appropriate to the offender/crime. This could be a rather clever way of defining which prisoners retain the right/privilege to vote and which lose it.

Apologies if it’s not France, my knowledge of international sentencing guidelines isn’t what it was and what it was was very limited!

Simple solution – we give them the right to exercise their vote… all they have to do is break out of their cell, climb over the wall, evade the dogs, walk to the polling booth and bobs your mothers brother, they can vote 😀

what about half a vote? either that or i get to have 2 votes to make up for the fact i’m twice the person the convicted criminal is 😆

Why should prisoners get the right to vote. I learnt about rights/responsibilies in school.

Because they need to learn about their responsibilities.

I think they should get a cheese board each. A good selection to chose from.

No quite simply. Why should someone who has broken the laws of society get a say in how society is run? If you cant do the time – dont do the crime.

To encourage social inclusion, as part of a process of reintegration into society rather than perpetual exclusion, hopefully leading to a reduction in our colossal re-offending rates

I just dont see how giving them the vote is going to encourage “social inclusion”.

It devalues the electoral process. If someone wins an election by the slimmest of majorities, voters will wonder if the outcome would have been different without some sociopath being taught about their responsibilities.

If you cant do the time – dont do the crime.

How does voting affect the time you spend in prison ?

……or couldn’t you stop yourself from coming out with a completely irrelevant redneck slogan ?

I just dont see how giving them the vote is going to encourage “social inclusion”.

Well, by voting, one is participating in a positive way in society, surely? That person then hopefully feels more included in the society they live, they have another fragment of investment in it.

Another half baked idea from some political “brilliance” who have too much time on their hands.

There is a reason for locking those criminal up so keep it simple. They are criminal so lock them up and throw the key away. Simple.

🙄

p/s: they are already included in a society … their society of crimes.

They are criminal so lock them up and throw the key away. Simple.

Yes, you certainly are

Why shouldn’t prisoners have the right to vote?

It seems absurd to me. Even if someone has committed a crime they are still a citizen of the country. What about people who get declared bankrupt through their own financial mismanagement, or lose their driving license but aren’t imprisioned? etc

I cannot believe that we allow this kind of censorship to occur

Yossarian,
Broadmoor

Where does this idea that criminals shouldn’t be allowed to vote come from. Folks seem to be saying, that if you break the laws of society, you shouldn’t be allowed to take part in it. Does that mean you don’t see prisons as part of our society?

Why should someone who has broken the laws of society get a say in how society is run?

Why shouldn’t they? We start with the idea of every adult having the right to vote, you need to explain why taking it away is justified. Saying ‘because they are criminals’ has no logical progression. Can you explain more clearly please?

Why should prisoners get the right to vote.

er………… wasn’t it because someone took the UK to the EU courts & won a ruling to the effect that they should be given the right?

If you cant do the time – dont do the crime.

a completely irrelevant redneck slogan ?

Irrelevant to the current discussion, yes, but still the basis of the penal system.

Whilst I don’t think prisoners shouldn’t be allowed to vote, I don’t see how letting them vote will make them less likely to re-offend.

So a society elects people who create laws. Some people break these laws so we then deny them the right to vote on who the people who make the laws of the land are- seem unfair.
Everyone has a right to decide who runs the country /what the laws are even those who break the law. They still live here dont they – actually we do let people who dont live here vote which seems more unfair.

NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!

As our cheeky furry friend suggests “Simples”.

So all people who speed should lose the right to vote or those that drop litter or that spit on pavements or ride fixies with no brakes.
That sounds like a fine fantasy world as I’d make the rules and get elected every time. Zimbabwe here i come.

It wouldn’t be such an issue with PR, but with our current electoral system a prison could easily swing a constituency. With nothing else to do in prison, could the turn-out be so high that a candidate from the (hypothetical) “Ex-prisoners for prisoners” party could win?

It wouldn’t be such an issue with PR, but with our current electoral system a prison could easily swing a constituency

I thought it was suggested they got a vote in their hometown constituency rather than where the slammer is located

drop litter or that spit on pavements

Do you get locked up for that?

ride fixies with no brakes.

They deserve locking up.

Dropping litter is an offence as is spitting….
ergo – no voting rights.

Dropping litter is an offence as is spitting….
ergo – no voting rights.

It is an offence yes, but they are talking about giving prisoners rights, not offenders!

Surely at the point you enter prison you are no longer part of scoiety from the time you are imprisoned.

Why should some one who has broken the law of the land and been taken out of society for their actions then be allowed to vote?

Yes once some one comes out of prison they should be allowed to vote but not whilst they are inside.

Then again its a whole bigger debate. Should they be given TV’s, Playstations, etc etc. Prison is or punishment, not just a free house.

No votes for prisoners. They should only earn their right to vote on serving their sentence in the same way that not reoffending and staying out of prison ensures they have learnt their lesson and are now willing to intrigate back into normal society and in doing so have the same benefits as the law abiding citizens.

isnt being allowed allowed to vote, no matter who you are or what you’ve done, a cornerstone of democracy?

what else should we deny the prison population?

Surely at the point you enter prison you are no longer part of scoiety from the time you are imprisoned.

Why do you say prison is not part of society?

Why should some one who has broken the law of the land and been taken out of society for their actions then be allowed to vote

so a society can imprison you but you can have no say on who runs that society – that strikles you as fair does it? – Like the way China imprisons pro democracy people but no one can vote that sort of thing?
They have not been taken out of society – they are very much a part of society and the the state apparatus and can feel it’s weight upon their everyday life far more than non incarcerated society members
Imagine you are imprisoned for a political crime like not paying the poll tax for example

Does anyone actually think that your average inmate is remotely interested whether or not they can vote?

isnt being allowed allowed to vote, no matter who you are or what you’ve done, a cornerstone of democracy?

what else should we deny the prison population?

Oh, I dunno, Liberty, freedom of association, alcohol, drugs – you know, the normal stuff that we accept gets denied to someone in prison 🙄

Does anyone actually think that your average inmate is remotely interested whether or not they can vote?

Maybe some don’t care, but it is not a reason to deny them the right to is it?

The can vote once they are out. Simple!

🙄

A person is sent to prison for breaking our laws. As such they have chosen to break them. We take away their liberty and restrict what they can or can’t do. We chose to not allow them to vote until they have served their punishment.

The ECHR has said that the right to vote is a human right. Personally I challenge that but that is the reason why we have reached this impasse. Personally I think the easiest approach is to ‘add’ a no voting right to prison sentences which is imposed by the judge. Should solve the problem.

We chose to not allow them to vote until they have served their punishment.

But is still doesn’t explain why.

But is still doesn’t explain why.

we also exclude the likes of Phil Woolas from voting for a few years

Then again its a whole bigger debate. Should they be given TV’s, Playstations, etc etc. Prison is or punishment, not just a free house.

Because of course voting is such a fun and exhilarating experience.

Throughout the world voting is seen as a responsibility, not an earned right.

They would be voting for a bunch of crooks anyway so they may be better to judge.