Felon Disenfranchisement

[BmorePat87]

(04-19-2018, 08:15 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: In prison and on parole.  No one detained for criminal activity should be able to wield political power.  If you're a danger to society to the point were you have to be physically removed from it you should not have a say in how society is run.  As parole is simply a continuation of a prison sentence, i.e. being released early with the understanding that you will have restrictions based on your behavior and movement, the same logic applies.  You have yet to serve the extent of the consequences of your prison sentence.  Another massive flaw in this line of thinking is that voting under such conditions is subject to intense pressure to vote a certain way.  Using CA as an example, say the Mexican Mafia instructs all of its members to vote a certain way and to use threats against others to ensure they do as well.  If you doubt such a scenario is possible I can assure you two things; it absolutely is and it would be guaranteed to happen.  You'd essentially be sending tens of thousands (hundreds of thousands in CA) of votes in the direction that the dominant prison gang desires.  I don't know how anyone could desire such a situation.

Agreed with the example you're using for in prison but a counter argument to suggesting no voting while on parole: it's a good way to practice citizenship in a period that is meant to be rehabilitative.