Should Felons Be Allowed To Vote

Decent Essays
Imagine a felony that has just served their time after they refused to pay taxes. His sentence was five years. It was November and the presidential candidates were getting ready to be voted for. Should this felon be allowed to vote? Felons should be allowed to vote after they serve their time because they have natural rights, the government lets them do other things, and they just deserve a second chance. One point that shows that felons should be allowed to vote is, after these felons serve their time, they now become “actual” U.S. citizens. They have natural rights when they become the “actual” U.S. citizens. According to The Declaration of Independence, it states that all men are born with natural rights. This shows that they should be

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Defining Felon Disenfranchisement Felon Disenfranchisement is the removing of a felon’s civil liberties while incarcerated and even past their prison sentence (Nation Conference of state Legislatures, 2016). Consequently, felon disenfranchisement could be seen as a very retributive punishment for felons. Individual states determine which rights are removed and may include: voting rights, eligibility for financial aid, the right to bear arms, the right to hold a jury, and other fundamental American rights. (Hammack, 2009). Many of these rights that are taken away are essential to the American way of life.…

    • 129 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    They should retain their right to vote to show how they improved by working to get it back. Although the convicted felon might be affected by who is elected, I believe that while felons are serving their term they should lose the right to vote, but retain it after their term within time because convicted felons don’t get updates on campaigns, also if someone needs to serve time in prison, be put on parole or probation, they have already broke the law and they should lose their right to vote for the meantime, and lastly, also a convicted felon should lose the right to vote while serving their time because, in most states, they can still retain it. If you think that your certain state should change their law to revoke the right to vote while a convicted felon serves their term or to ensure that someone can retain their right to vote after completing their term, you can contact your state…

    • 1246 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Felon disenfranchisement is a common practice in the United States and occurs when incarcerated felons and ex-felons are denied certain rights, specifically their right to vote. Felonies vary between violent and nonviolent crimes and are considered to be more serious than misdemeanors. Depending on the crime and the state, conviction of a felony can lead to a minimum of one year in prison. Despite the crime and conviction, the question of whether or not an incarcerated felon or ex-felon has the right to vote is important to examine. While felon disenfranchisement laws are left to be decided by each individual state, the Supreme Court has upheld the view that felon disenfranchisement is constitutional yet has not provided a justification for…

    • 647 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Felons have violated the established “Social Contract Theory” demonstrating that a felon’s judgment is faulty, as well as the susceptibility of felons to recidivism. In addition, felon disenfranchisement laws are not a predominant factor in the social reintegration of a felon. Moreover, according to the 14th amendment: states have the authority to deny one's right to vote due to criminal behavior. Lastly, felon disenfranchisement laws are not inherently racist nor encompass any racially targeted laws. If a person rebels feloniously against any aspect of society, warranted by moral, social, and legal means, that person’s right to vote must be revoked.…

    • 1401 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In addition, after they complete their sentences the lives of convicted felons will never be the same. For instance, they are discriminated against their ability to obtain public housing, employment, and even benefits such as Medicaid and Welfare. Many of them live in disgrace and despair in their communities without much help to start a new life. It is clear that our criminal justice system today was influenced by the racist views of those who were in power during the Jim Crow era. Instead of figuring beneficial ways to end the “War on Drugs”, those in power look around it and continue the legacy of keeping millions of African American males…

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    There are so many different outcomes to the issue with different states having different law on felons being able to vote as shown above. Felons should be allowed to vote for one it is constitutional right they have done their time to society and by law should have the right to vote restored to them. It will be a great first step back in society and great pride to them personally Leah Taylor was convicted of a non-violent crime her rights to vote were restored but are now at great risk of being taken away again (Stolberg). Ex-Felons like Leah should be able rights to vote after she’s done her time to society, is it really fair to have them taken away? After all these years of trying to register to vote and being denied various times and for it to finally be granted only to be taken…

    • 1347 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In order to do the most good for the most people, equal rights must be afforded to every one. The most unacceptable form of injustice is disenfranchisement, and my specific area of interest is felon disenfranchisement. I think it’s of the utmost importance that we address this, and address it soon. Each state has varying laws regarding the legality of felon voting; from states that allow felons to vote while incarcerated, on parole, and probation to states that permanently take away a citizen’s right to vote, depending on the severity of the crime. Currently, two states allow felons to vote while in jail or serving a part of their sentence, parole, probation, etc.…

    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Persuasive Essay Felons

    • 1484 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Felons are citizens and should be allowed to vote because the right to vote is proclaimed constitutionally to citizens at the age of 18. Many people are convicted of felonies- which inhibits their right to vote. However, decisions made in elections affect everyone, thus the opinions and concerns of felons should be counted as a fundamental right. Just because they are criminals, that does not take away their citizenship and basic rights as an American. Also, not all felons that are convicted are guilty, so taking away their right to vote further strips them of their individuality.…

    • 1484 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    In addition, felons are not allowed to vote in many states ("What Are the Requirements to Be Eligible to Vote in Federal Elections?"). This is completely unfair towards them. Certain felons should still maintain the right to vote. Criminals who are, say, terrorists, should not be allowed to vote. However, if the charge against someone is not serious, they should not have their rights stolen away from…

    • 1026 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Persuasive Essay On Felons

    • 1173 Words
    • 5 Pages

    A felon being an active, but confined contributing member of a community helps with convalescence, disenfranchisement for felons has helped create a voting privilege racial divide and everyone deserve a second chance. It aids the community by solidification of its voting base. At the end of the day felons should be given back his or her right after all protocol is met, it is a must his or her voice gets heard just like the rest of us in the world.…

    • 1173 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Should American Citizens be required to vote Throughout the years, many citizens have fought for the right to vote. Citizens of other countries view the United States as being lucky just to have the opportunity to help choose the person who will be in charge of our country or to help decide how our constitution will be amended. American citizens should be able to vote for many reasons,first being U.S. citizens are the voice of America and are our future leaders and drive the political process. The second reason mandatory voting should be require is because it can get American citizens involved in the government, and lastly mandatory voting will sustain a democratic government. I believe that American Citizens should be able to vote for many reasons, one of the reasons that American citizens should be required to vote is the simple fact that American citizens are the voice of America and without our voices this country would have no one to represent us as a whole; the American Citizens represent the American population.…

    • 860 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Does Parole Work Essay

    • 1026 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Does Parole Work? Parole is a prime example of the reintegration program used by the criminal justice system. It releases the offenders back into society many of them are placed on parole as a proper form of punishment instead of having them crowding the prisons. Parolees, The Bureau of Justice Statistics tracking of parolees that found that 62% of parolees were rearrested within three years of their release (Worrall 210).With so many forms of parole from diversion programs, boot camps, house arrest, electric monitoring, and rehab programs. Alexander Maconochie ran a prison in England he believed that inmates could have to be rehabilitated, so he made a program in which inmates had to earn their release.…

    • 1026 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A lot of people think the majority of the inmates that go to jail are young delinquents, but what they don’t know, is that there’s also elderly people that break the rules. Even though they have a higher rate of illness, there’s still a high rate of older people in prison. In 2010, 8% percent of the prison population was 124,400 inmates, who were 55 years old or older. Elderly offenders are in a special unit in prison, because they have multiple health complications.…

    • 832 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The question surrounding the United States today is should prisoners have rights and if they should what rights do they deserve to have and which ones should be stripped away from them. Some people believe that if a person commits a crime that they do not deserve to have any rights at all, but others may argue that everyone even a criminal should have some type of rights given to them. Prisoners must have several basic rights because they cannot fend for themselves while behind bars. When prisoners go into the prison system they give up their privacy and fundamental rights, but still remain with their basic human rights.…

    • 1109 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Felons should have the same rights to vote as a normal citizen of the United States. Prisoners should be able to speak and and make themselves matter for once. They need to take action and look for a better as well. A citizen felon should have the rights as a citizen. Prisoners should be allowed to vote and make a decision.…

    • 1007 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays