The UK is in breach of the European Convention of Human Rights because we do not allow prisoners to vote in general and local elections. This story reminded me. What are your views on it?

Even though I am a liberal, I have to say that if you have been convicted for any crime, then tough shit. I think prisoners shunned such rights when they committed their crime.
I am all for rehabilitation such as teaching prisoners a trade or giving them access to education, but I don't think a criminal should have a say in how their country is going to be run.

i think that if they can't follow the laws that are in place then they shouldn't have a say in new ones.

and you have never broken any law? lol

nothing that could have ever gotten me jail time!

not paying a speeding ticket can lead to jail time, juts like breaking most any law can.

should anyone that smokes pot not be allowed to vote? well, hell. Obama smoked, he still drinks and smokes cigarettes. maybe he shouldn't have ran for president?

people make mistakes. and decent people forgive them, help them,understand this, and have set up the necessary steps for the less unfortunate, since most crime is an economics issues to begin with.
most societies understand this, and the laws in place reflect this.
as much as you may want to throw away the key for everyone. it's not going to happen

i've never had a ticket.. ever :).

but i was referring more to crimes that get bigger punishments.. hard drugs, murder, child abuse, etc.

and i never said i wanted to throw away the key.

If someone is deemed so bad that they should never be allowed to have any say whatsoever in issues that directly effect their lives. If it;s to that point, those are the types that belong behind bars.
Now i can understand not being allowed to vote while locked up.
But once you've done your time, paid for your crimes, and like in most states, have proven yourself for five years, and had the necessary follow up in the said five years ie an evaluation to have the rights returned. By qualified individuals who decide if you should be allowed to vote or not. It's up to them, it's how it works. The reason it's set up this way, see above.

One of the problems we saw with this not allowing felons to vote. Is that often innocent people get turned away because they share the same name with a felon.
What do you propose, NCIC (sp) finger print background checks to see who's who?

I got a better idea. Obviously most that do vote, do not research te people they vote for. I propose written test be taken to see if you know what positions your politician you want to vote for has on some key issues. Or better yet, we should be voting on the issues themselves, and not for politicians. Since it;s quite obvious that no two people agree on everything.Making it virtually impossible to ever have a politician that fully represents you. and in most cases the majority. If the majority were ever to receive a couple of tidbits that might be able to shed some light on unbalanced trade and their shopping habits/forced lifestyles of civilization. vs. The daze of postulated salvation.

When you say harder drugs, does that include one of the most powerful hallucinogens known to man, that you use every night when you sleep, dream, hallucinate?

you obviously haven't read my other comment on the forum.. about rehabilitation and applying to have your rights returned.

also, i also don't believe in uneducated voting. i'm not going to argue with you on that. if i haven't done my research, i don't vote.

and as for your last point i don't know wtf you're talking about.

Oh, my apologies then. yeah, i didn't read this thread, sowwie


The last part was a joke, usually aimed towards hardcore anti-drugs people. I call'em Nacy Reganetts.

The joke is to not get to bent up on being anti-drugs. when our entire body is so full of them, that we owe are emotions, rationality, dreaming/creativity, enlightenment/religion, to them. ie don't bite to hard on the hand that makes possible our existence. addiction is one thing. utilizing the drugs the chemical universe has provide for us in order for us to be at all, is another

haha it's okay. i don't always read every post either.

i'm pretty anti-drugs because they've affected my life so drastically. not because i've taken them, but because people that i love have, with very negative consequences falling on my shoulders. (no, i don't mean pot lol).

I didn't even break a law but since my dad had the proof and I didn't I spent time both in jail and on probation. Doesn't make me a bad person.

But why should they be held to the laws & punishments if they don't have a say in who creates them?

The DO have a say...until they choose to Disregard the law and break those rules. It's part of the punishment. If you don't want to lose your rights...don't be an asshole and commit crime. It's really a pretty simple concept.

I guess we just have two different opinions then. Because I think nobody should have their vote taken away from them, no matter what they have done. Sure they are some disgusting individuals in prison that in my opinion shouldn't be allowed to breathe the same air as we do. But at the same time, you can't just assume every prisoner is like that.

I know under certain situations I would go apeshit & probably kill someone given the chance (for example, someone hurting my child). And if I had to spend the rest of my life in prison for it I would at least think I deserve the right to elect the officials that put me in there.

It wouldn't have been officials who put you there but your own actions if you choose to kill someone.

If you take someones life, you have taken their right to vote (and everything else)... so why should you get to vote?

It depends, do you mean felons, or any crime period. I was convicted of a crime, rather I pled guilty because I was a scared 17 year old girl who didnt know what to do. Basically a car was given to me, but not in my name because in the state I lived in it couldnt be in my name until I turned 18. Well my dad began to abuse me emotionally, and basically threatened to throw me in a mental hospital because he didnt want to have to deal with a teenager who was beginning to deal with her traumatizing past. I took the car and ran away. About two weeks later he got the car back in perfect condition, but he had reported it stolen, and I was arrested for it. I pled guilty to Misd. Theft.

Should I have a right to vote? Absolutely I should. I paid the price for my "crime" and I did what I needed to do to make it right. Even now, 5 years later I struggle to get a job in the field I love because I have a misd. theft on my record. I pay for that crime almost every day of my life, and to be honest, its a crock. In my opinion.

I mean if you go to jail for any period.

You should be allowed to vote once you're out of jail, that I believe.

While you are in Jail, you should lose your right to vote, but after you serve your time, you should be welcomed back into society, everyone makes bad decisions in their lives, some people are lucky enough to never get caught with their stupid mistakes, but to punish someone for the rest of their life for a bad decision isnt right.

I do however believe after a certain number of convictions you should lose your right to vote permanently, it shows you really dont care about this country or its laws.

Completely agree.

I agree with Mindi here, 100%.

If you go to jail, and are in jail, you should lose your right to vote. After you serve your time *AND* pay your dues (ie: FINES) - you should be allowed to vote again.

I believe for certain convictions (child molestation, murder, serious drug charges, repeated charges, etc) - you should lose your right to vote altogether.

"If voting made a difference, we wouldn't be allowed to do it."

I forget who said that and am too lazy to Google it, but I do believe it. Hence, I don't think it matters whether prisoners are allowed to vote or not, because the act of voting in general (in my opinion) is a joke.

oh, so you're not for rehabilitation then.

I like the way we do it here in Nevada. Keeping in mind that anywhere else in the world a state is a nation/country. each having their own laws.

and here in Nevada once you are done with prison, parole, probation, or w/e

Once you have been off paper for five years, with no new convictions, you completed everything, and have been good for five years.

You can apply to have your voting rights restored. Applying means not only filling out the paper work, but being interviewed- for the psychiatric evaluation.
If you are deemed rehabilitated and not crazy. You get your voting rights back.

IMO - no i dont think they should have that right

No, you're right. I'm all for them changing, and turning their lives around, but they can vote WHEN and IF they do. While they are in prison, tough luck.

I agree with both. IN the U.S., if you are convicted of a felony, you lose your voting rights. Once you are out of prison and totally clean, you can petition the courts for the right back. I think personally...They should lose that right permanetly.