Curious as to the opinions here

unsung
unsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
edited September 2013 in A Moving Train
Should convicted felons, that have fully served their sentences, have their right to vote restored?
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • Bentleyspop
    Bentleyspop Craft Beer Brewery, Colorado Posts: 11,640
    unsung wrote:
    Should convicted felons, that have fully served their sentences, have their right to vote restored?

    That's an awesome question
    I for one don't have an opinion on the subject but might just do some research into it and get back to you

    Bet this will generate some real educated and thoughtful responses
  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    Good question indeed.

    My first thought is no; that right is rescinded for life upon conviction.
  • g under p
    g under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,249
    hedonist wrote:
    Good question indeed.

    My first thought is no; that right is rescinded for life upon conviction.


    I would say no but maybe they should be put in an probationary time period of 10-15 years. If they can stay out of trouble for that period of time then they can petition themselves to get reinstated to vote once again.

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  • PJ_Soul
    PJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 50,910
    edited September 2013
    unsung wrote:
    Should convicted felons, that have fully served their sentences, have their right to vote restored?
    Yes, I think they should. I thought they had paid their debt by going to prison and serving their time. Why do they continue to be stripped of their rights after they have done that? It is not at all helpful to anyone to keep them from voting and being involved in the society that they have reentered.

    In Canada current prisoners are even still allowed to vote by special ballot, because the thinking is that ALL Canadian citizens have the right to vote no matter what, and prisoners are not stripped of their citizenship. Them not being allowed to even after they have served their sentence in the US seems ridiculous to me. As if those felons who have served their time aren't real US citizens anymore.
    Post edited by PJ_Soul on
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • chadwick
    chadwick up my ass Posts: 21,157
    sure. vote up a storm. at least it shows they are trying & are giving a hoot about their city, state & country. a felon could a non violent individual, just sayin. heck a great number of folks never in trouble a moment in their lives do not give a darn about voting.

    you do not even need be a felon but rather a simple guy who drove drunk or got busted for smoking a joint & you are not going into canada. i have several friends who can not visit canada.

    let x cons vote.
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  • chadwick
    chadwick up my ass Posts: 21,157
    hedonist wrote:
    Good question indeed.

    My first thought is no; that right is rescinded for life upon conviction.
    interstate marijuana trafficing gets a guy a felony. ooops, he a real criminal. weren't folks keeping him in business, all the good grass users baking brownies & bong rips?
    for poetry through the ceiling. ISBN: 1 4241 8840 7

    "Hear me, my chiefs!
    I am tired; my heart is
    sick and sad. From where
    the sun stands I will fight
    no more forever."
    Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
  • PJ_Soul
    PJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 50,910
    chadwick wrote:
    sure. vote up a storm. at least it shows they are trying & are giving a hoot about their city, state & country. a felon could a non violent individual, just sayin. heck a great number of folks never in trouble a moment in their lives do not give a darn about voting.

    you do not even need be a felon but rather a simple guy who drove drunk or got busted for smoking a joint & you are not going into canada. i have several friends who can not visit canada.

    let x cons vote.
    Totally agree.
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    chadwick wrote:
    hedonist wrote:
    Good question indeed.

    My first thought is no; that right is rescinded for life upon conviction.
    interstate marijuana trafficing gets a guy a felony. ooops, he a real criminal. weren't folks keeping him in business, all the good grass users baking brownies & bong rips?
    Guess I was thinking more along the lines of rapists, pedophiles, murderers and the like. Those folks...yeah, not so keen on reinstating that right.
  • Last-12-Exit
    Last-12-Exit Charleston, SC Posts: 8,661
    chadwick wrote:
    hedonist wrote:
    Good question indeed.

    My first thought is no; that right is rescinded for life upon conviction.
    interstate marijuana trafficing gets a guy a felony. ooops, he a real criminal. weren't folks keeping him in business, all the good grass users baking brownies & bong rips?
    Doing a bong rip isn't a felony, unless you have a 16oz bowl.
  • PJ_Soul
    PJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 50,910
    hedonist wrote:
    chadwick wrote:
    hedonist wrote:
    Good question indeed.

    My first thought is no; that right is rescinded for life upon conviction.
    interstate marijuana trafficing gets a guy a felony. ooops, he a real criminal. weren't folks keeping him in business, all the good grass users baking brownies & bong rips?
    Guess I was thinking more along the lines of rapists, pedophiles, murderers and the like. Those folks...yeah, not so keen on reinstating that right.
    I don't really care about what the crime was here. I see no value in preventing EX-cons from voting. Unless the goal is to ensure that they feel ostracized from society and are reminded of it every election. I would imagine the only result from that is to make them even more likely to re-offend than they would be if they could vote. Seems like a really illogical and completely emotional law. And that doesn't seem good to me.
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • Thirty Bills Unpaid
    Thirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    Having fully served their offences means they have paid their debt to society.

    They should be permitted to vote and also encouraged to live as a regular, law-abiding citizen.
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • JimmyV
    JimmyV Boston's MetroWest Posts: 19,613
    I think they should, yes. If they have served their sentences I see no reason why the right to vote should not be restored.
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  • Cosmo
    Cosmo Posts: 12,225
    Convicted felon... serves his/her full term... should have his/her right to vote. The debt to society, as deemed by our courts, has been repaid and the person is living in our free society.
    ...
    But... I believe the Federal Law that prohibits them from owning or in possesion of a firearm should remain in place.
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  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,778
    Excellent question, unsung.

    Without thinking about it a great deal my answer is yes. But my answer is based on thinking about the only felons I know very well personally who are good people who either made bad choices when they were younger or who were wrongly accused. Besides that, I think once someone has paid their dues, having certain rights restored might go a long way to keeping that person on track. It's not like we'd be letting them have guns or drugs or whatever it is they were busted for.
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    Are most convicted felons that passionate about being able to vote? And if yes, so passionate they'd feel the need to commit further crimes because of that?

    Would parole play a role in this?

    I don't know those answers, myself.

    I get I'm in the minority on this (and that's fine) and am as usual open to arguments on the other side. I just see that right, that privilege, as being pretty low on the totem pole.

    And again, not talking about small-timers or the ones we can feel for.
  • PJPOWER
    PJPOWER Posts: 6,499
    I see no societal or rehabilitative benifit in banning them from voting...
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,778
    Maybe a case by case review would be better than a single "yeah" or "nay". For example, I once knew a woman who is a convicted felon (and if I'm correct, always will be because felony raps never go away). She was busted for possession of cocaine. That's it. And when I knew her, she was doing everything she could to get a job in human services because she felt she was wronged by being given a felony rap and because of what she felt was a bad rap, she wanted to devote her life to helping others. But as a result of the felony and the way most systems are set up (not to mention stigma) she wasn't allowed to work in most (or almost all) human services agencies. Her's is a heartbreaking story. And maybe being given the right to vote seems like a minor deal in this case , directly or indirectly, human service agencies and the way they operate often exist or do not exist based on voting results and she is no longer allowed to have a say in that. Sadly, justice does not always prevail.
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • ldent42
    ldent42 NYC Posts: 7,859
    Sure, why not?

    This thread made me wonder which number is higher, the number of people living in this country who are 18+ & cannot vote, or the number of people living in this country who are 18+, can vote, but don't.
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  • Dirtie_Frank
    Dirtie_Frank Posts: 1,348
    I think most made a few good point, if they paid their debt to society. Maybe if they were let out on parole they would have to wait until ahtever the full term is? I am not sure. I think it should be on a case by case, since nothing is simply black and white.
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  • backseatLover12
    backseatLover12 Posts: 2,312
    duska3419 wrote:
    Sure, why not?

    This thread made me wonder which number is higher, the number of people living in this country who are 18+ & cannot vote, or the number of people living in this country who are 18+, can vote, but don't.

    Great comment.

    And I don't see why anyone over 18 shouldn't be allowed to vote...

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