Prisoner wins landmark vote case

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philjit
Arch-Enemy of Idealism

Registered: Jan 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 13002

Prisoner wins landmark vote case

quote:

The (UK) government is reconsidering its ban on prisoners voting after a landmark human rights case brought by an inmate.

John Hirst, serving life in Rye Hill Prison, Warwickshire, for manslaughter, went to court when his application to register to vote was turned down.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled British laws that bar inmates from voting breach human rights.

The Department for Constitutional Affairs is "considering the judgement before deciding its next step".

More...

Interesting development.

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03-31-2004 06:55 AM

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snarkychick
strappy shoes

Registered: Mar 2004
Location: kansas.
Posts: 346

I've always been amazed that while US prisoners can't vote while they're in prison, they also can't vote when they get out in most states... some states bar people with felony convictions for life, and several others have a very restrictive and involved process where someone can reapply to vote but only after a certain length of time. Some stats I've seen show that about 1 in 8 black men in the US are denied the right to vote at any given time, and in a lot of southern states, the rate is more like 1 in 4. Talk about disenfranchisement.

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03-31-2004 01:08 PM

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mudded
Too drunk to fish

Registered: Aug 2001
Location: is futile
Posts: 5027

then they should not pay taxes either.

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03-31-2004 01:14 PM

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lucidnightmare
Max Power

Registered: Nov 2003
Location: North Myrtle Beach SC
Posts: 3353

people with felony convictions shouldnt be able to vote , i dont think child molesters , rapist and drug dealers should be able to pick our government .

we treat people convicted of manslaughter ( killers ) so harshly , my heart aches for them .

and it dosen't matter what color you are , it's about being responsible for your own actions

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03-31-2004 07:01 PM

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lucidnightmare
Max Power

Registered: Nov 2003
Location: North Myrtle Beach SC
Posts: 3353

quote:
Originally posted by mudded
then they should not pay taxes either.

most felons dont , we pay for them with our taxes , while they sit at home or stand on street corners .

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NECROTIC OBSESSION

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Last edited by lucidnightmare on 03-31-2004 at 07:14 PM

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03-31-2004 07:03 PM

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mudded
Too drunk to fish

Registered: Aug 2001
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Posts: 5027

For me, the end of the prison term should also be the end of punishment.

sentencing should reflect when society deems people worthy to reenter the community.

Making it harder for people to reenter society will only increase their chances of reoffending, thus making the practice counterproductive

But again. My perspective on the purpose of the penal system, is that it should work primarily to reduce crime, not primarily to dispense vengeance.

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03-31-2004 08:13 PM

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MstrG
The Talamasca

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 10150

For many, the end of prison isn't the end of punishment anyhow. Probation can extend years beyond their sentence, along with reparations.

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03-31-2004 08:18 PM

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SimpleSimon
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Registered: Dec 2002
Location:
Posts: 16295

quote:
Originally posted by lucidnightmare
most felons dont , we pay for them with our taxes , while they sit at home or stand on street corners .

Most incarcerated felons don't pay taxes, tis true. Mostly because their labor is unpaid, or paid at so low a level that their income is insufficient to reach the threshhold necessary to trigger a requirement to pay taxes. Unincarcerated felons do pay taxes.

First, it is a normal condition of probation/parole, or community supervision of any kind that those so supervised must be employed or face revocation and physical incarceration.

Second, depending on the state, newly released prisoners have no unemployment compensation rights whatsoever, nor do most have any welfare, food stamp, or social security compensation rights.

Third, virtually ever form of supervision outside of prison levies fees upon those supervised, typically in the neighborhood of $50 - $100/month or more, and a great many persons in those programs are required to attend "treatment" programs, at their own expense. Such programs vary widely in cost, but are seldom less than $100+/month.

Voting rights for non-incarcerated felons, or former felons, varies widely from state to state. We discussed the issue here last fall. If you'd like to see a state by state breakdown, look here.

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03-31-2004 08:39 PM

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lady sianna
nefarious nymph

Registered: Aug 2001
Location: deep in the heart of...
Posts: 515

quote:
posted by lucid:

people with felony convictions shouldnt be able to vote , i dont think child molesters , rapist and drug dealers should be able to pick our government .

here are a sampling of felony offenses in Texas:

Credit Card Abuse
UUMV
Criminal Mischief
Personal Possession Marijuana
Criminal Nonsupport
Tampering with Government Records

not all felony offenders are murderers, rapists or child molesters, and yet their rights to vote are stripped away all the same.

taking away the voting rights of criminals does not serve as punishment for the individual. it serves as punishment for a so-called democracy in which only those the government deems worthy are allowed to vote.

i, personally, am in favor of restoring the voting rights of prisoners.

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