Felony Disenfranchisement Dissertation Example

Free Felony Disenfranchisement Dissertation Example

Felony Disenfranchisement Student Name Institutional Affiliations Voting for Felons Abstract It is a common practice in the world to deny felons a right to vote. As prisoners, some of their rights which include voting are taken away. For instance, approximately six million people in the United States are by law denied the right to vote due to the conviction for known criminal offenses. Proponents argue that felons should be allowed to vote because they have only broken social norms hence they should be allowed to exercise their civil rights. Some activists argue against it saying that felons are mentally retarded and should be denied both social and civil rights. Certain states allow felons to vote after they have served their term in prison while others will enable them to vote for probation and parole. Very few states allow lawbreakers to vote from prison. The voting rights of a felon should be restored after punishment by law in a nutshell, it is rational for them to exercise their constitutional rights despite their delinquencies. The question of whether lawbreakers should be allowed to vote has been a subject of discussion for quite some time. Fifty years ago, president Lyndon signed the voting rights act, (Lopez, 2015). A lot of arguments are raised for and against the voting of felons. Opponents argue that felons have impaired judgment and hence they should not be allowed to vote. Proponents, on the other hand, argue that denying convicts a right to vote is an undemocratic act which is pushed by political and racial discrimination (EJI, 2015). Felons should not be denied their right to vote since it is unjust and unconstitutional. Currently, adults are losing their right to vote due to conviction. Mentally disabled adults have their rights to vote except for felons (HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, 2015). The act of felony disenfranchisement should be revised and lifted for a few reasons. It denies mentally upright people a voice of making the...