Prisoners and the vote

[flip-flop]

As part of an EU ruling I understand prisoners may soon be entitled to vote.

This is as absurd as giving compensation to banged up smack heads isn't it?

How can people who have chosen to step outside of the normal rules of society be allowed to be involved in the democratic process to elect an executive when part of the government's job is to protect us from people who choose to step outside the normal rules of society?

This is utter madness, isn't it?

[Theland]

It's too pc for me I'm afraid. On the other hand, it could bring them back into the fold and get at least some of them interested in the democratic process as part of their rehabilitation.

[jno]

They're subject to the same rules as everyone else even if they break a couple - a murderer may still pay his taxes, a tax dodger may not murder anyone - so I don't see why they shouldn't have as much say as anyone else in who represents them in parliament. You've obviously never exceeded the speed limit, flip-flop? Because that would be choosing to step outside of the normal rules of society.

[flip-flop]

Oh come on jno, that's hardly the same is it? - Do you genuinely believe the likes of Neilson, Huntley, Noye etc... should be allowed to vote?

Madness.

[WoWo]

Personally I can't see a problem with it.

[noxlumos]

Well not allowing prisoners to vote is a sure way to ensure that any of your political prisoners never get a chance to democratically change things doesn't it? I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions about what'll happen once they are released. Oh I forgot Britain never had any political prisoners did it?
I think it's a step forward in integration of prisoners back into their communities to allow them to vote. Because someone is in prison for one thing they did wrong possibly many years ago, doesn't negate them as a whole person, they have valid views, thoughts and feelings like the rest of you. Also it's a bit of a joke really isn't it with people like Jefrey Archer kicking about?

[jno]

so you just choose which rules you're going to break, flip-flop? Well, so do the Neilsons and Noyes of the world. Law-abiding citizens keep all the laws. Those who don't are lawbreakers. But I think they should be able to vote, and you too even if your foot goes down on the pedal a bit hard once in a while. As nox says, they're still people, and Neilson's views on (say) Blair's foreign policy are just as valid as mine.

[flip-flop]

Well my gast has been flabbered!

I'm all for rehabilitiation and getting them ready for release, within reason - some people are beyond rehabilitiation - but they are in prison first and formeost to be punished.

Allowing them the vote is an utterly absurd idea.

[Haggisdj]

Where would their vote be counted... in their home constituency or the constituency of the prison they are in?

[noxlumos]

Can we have this clear please for one thing, that no-one actually is not a law breaker. Whether you've just taken a few pens home from work ( thief) to not bothered disclosing absolutely every penny to the tax man ( fraud and evasion) to having a fight in a pub (assault) the list is endless, and I dion't think there is a single person in the British Isles that has never broken the law in any way, so as Jno says you just choose which laws to obey and assume you won't be acted against, but in principle there is little difference between someone who nicks apen and someone who goes shoplifting whether you like it or not.

[LazyGun]

The legitimacy of a democracy is dependent to a very large degree on the principle of universal suffrage. There are already some sections of society that are disenfranchised (homeless, 16-18 year olds) etc, as well as those deemed insane.
In principle, I would have no problem with prisoners having the right to vote.

[Lonnie]

Its obvious that there are different views on this, My view is, all depending on the crime, these people have broken the rules, and gone against the society they live in, (i'm not counting Politicals in this), they have given up their right to the rights of Citizenship, until they've served their sentence.

No vote, no say in what happens in the country while they are being punished for their crimes.

[unruliejulie]

I think you loose your rights when you break the law. As soon as you're out then you regain those rights.

[Oneeyedvic]

Are you suggesting that people like Sylvia Hardy (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/42800 40.stm) should not be allowed to vote (if an election had taken place in the 7 days she was incarcerated for?)

I know she has stepped outside the rules of society....

[Lonnie]

In reply to oneeyedvic, and its my view, I said it all depends on the crime, couldn't access your link, but each case should be taken on merit, Thieves, Rapists, Murderers etc, as far as I am concerned, would have no rights at all, but others, possibly, all depending on the crime.

[Oneeyedvic]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/42800 40.stm

Lonnie - the response was really in response to flip flop and unruleijulie's black and white view point, not your own.