ipl-logo

Pros And Cons Of Ex-Felons

1858 Words8 Pages

Should Ex-Felons be allowed to Vote after Their Time has been served?
“To be shut out of the process is like a perpetual punishment and a slap in the face, saying you’re never going to be a citizen.” Desmond Meade, chairman of Floridians for Fair Democracy and former drug addict, stated this to describe his feelings when he received his degree in law but not his license to practice. Unfortunately, this situation occurs frequently in certain states around the country. Many people convicted of felonies, from one-time drug users to killers, are stripped of their voting rights permanently. Convicted felons or ex-felons, like Desmond Meade, can only restore their rights through a timely and costly process called clemency, a legal process that grants …show more content…

Presidential elections remain some of the most influential elections in terms of how our country is ran. This country could have potentially been under control of different leaders and retain different policies than what we follow today simply by allowing the ex-felon population to vote in only one state. The 2000 presidential election could have easily been switched around if ex-felons in Florida were allowed to vote. (Ford 3) Many Americans believe this to be false considering the numbers of Florida residents versus the number of citizens occupying the rest of America. However, in any election, local or national, every vote counts. Statistically, Florida only grants a certain amount of felons their voting rights back leaving the rest of them to sit home and watch the elections. With how close elections can be, it really can come down to only a small number of votes needed. Republican legislatures believe that by allowing ex-felons to vote, they would give up the thought of ever having another republican member in the head of government because they feel that felons would register as democrats, which shifts the political views and number of voters during elections. 1 in 10 voting age Floridians could not cast a ballot in the last presidential election (Kander 9) Republican legislatures contribute to the ratio by not allowing ex-felons to vote simply by claiming they will register as democrats. Because they believe this, it throws off the whole political bias and clearly effects the outcome of important government decision. A one in ten ratio really defines how this restoration process affects Americans and their opinions. By shifting the election outcome, it has set back the restoration process even farther. It became so large of a setback that now felons

Show More
Related

Oppose Voter ID Legislation: Annotated Bibliography

738 Words | 3 Pages

One example, “341 felons in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area illegally voted in the 2008 election. Compared with 2.7 million votes cast in the state, 341 seems insignificant but after the recount of the U.S senate race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken, Franken’s margin of victory was only 312 votes. The illegal votes cast by felons were not discovered until after the recount, making 341 an awfully significant number” (Kobach). This shows that even though the number may be small it can still change the election in the opponent's favor. Another example is that 50 votes were illegally casted by citizens of Somalia, they all voted for J.J. Rizzo, he ended up winning by one vote.

Read More

Costs And Benefits Of Felons Restrictions

97 Words | 1 Pages

This is certainly a conflicting issue. While it is fair to value the welfare of law abiding citizens over the welfare of convicted felons, placing restricting on felons presents the issue of those felons lacking the ability to become a contributing member of society. Like you mentioned, that can provide the push needed for them to return to crime rather than working towards a steady life of their own. Further research into the costs and benefits of such restrictions is necessary to determine whether these types of restrictions actually do benefit society overall like they intend to.

Read More

The Pros And Cons Of Electoral College

1736 Words | 7 Pages

Even after the signing of the 1965 voting rights act, which was intended to help African Americans and other racial minorities to have the constitutional right to vote, some laws still in the books throughout the United States discriminate against those who are not property owners. Of course, to be fair, this is exclusively certain election. But could this have a psychological effect on the non-property owners and depress turnout for other types of election in which virtually everyone above the age of eighteen could vote? In a district election, some officials are appointed, some are elected by property owners only and others are elected by everyone in the district. Roughly 40% of such district throughout the United States of America have

Read More

Why Do Ex-Felons Lose Their Right To Vote

1015 Words | 5 Pages

United States citizens with a criminal background should be allowed to vote in their state of residency Ontreal Harris Professor Ross Composition II Reference Shaw, Jerry. “When Did Ex-Felons Lose Their Rights to Vote? A History.” Newsmax. Newsmax Media, Inc.

Read More

14th Amendment Pros And Cons

593 Words | 3 Pages

These individuals are expected to return to society and live by the rules of the government but not have a say in who they're being governed by should be unconstitutional. Criminals are still citizens that Americans expects them to be " reformed " after being in prison but how can someone prove they have changed if they have to constantly be reminded and stamped with convicted felon when trying to learn and move along with their lives. Some can argue that people incarcerated are not affect directly by the laws that could be passed while they are serving their time, but it does affect those individual’s families, friend and them as well if they are up for parole or still having to serve probation upon

Read More

Felon Disenfranchisement Research Paper

1612 Words | 7 Pages

A significant 6.1 million Americans are forbidden to vote because of what scholars call “felon disenfranchisement,”

Read More

Why Do Felons Have The Right To Vote

1104 Words | 5 Pages

One person said, “It was a real exciting feeling… All of a sudden, I’m a person to them again” (Kumar 2). Regaining the right to vote makes the formally incarcerated feel as if redemption is within reach. Voting can make a person feel validated. “Just because I was incarcerated, that means I’m nothing now?” (Kestin 3).

Read More

Should Felons Be Allowed To Vote Essay

479 Words | 2 Pages

It would not be plausible to trust someone who has committed a violent crime to vote responsibly. Secondly, felons should be prohibited from voting due to not knowing if they have truly changed since serving their sentence. Drugs are also known to be easier

Read More

Pros And Cons Of Disenfranchisement

1417 Words | 6 Pages

“As we reflect on the 2016 election, ballots cast and candidates elected, one important piece has yet to be examined — the over 6.1 million Americans who were prohibited from making their voices heard because of laws that disenfranchise citizens convicted of a felony. ”(McLarty and Poter) If we stop disenfranchisement laws we could have a shift in our democracy. Thus, if the United States claims to be democracy, they should allow anyone who is a citizen to vote regardless of what they have

Read More

Should Felons Have The Right To Vote Essay

2205 Words | 9 Pages

Felons should be granted the right to vote despite the crime that they committed. Disenfranchising felons of the right to vote is inviolable. English Philosopher John Locke “believed that all human beings had certain rights by nature (such as rights to life, liberty, and property), that government existed to protect those rights. (Feser)” Over 5 million convicted felons cannot vote.

Read More

Essay On Felony Disenfranchisement

376 Words | 2 Pages

They could see it as unjust. More likely, however, people would feel felons are not deserving of equal vote when they themselves have not committed any felonies. Additionally, managing to remove felony disenfranchisement won't solve any major issues. It will increase minority representation which is great except, these people are still labeled as convicted felons. The likelihood that they can gain a well paying job if any as an ex-convict is greatly decreased.

Read More

Persuasive Essay Felons

1188 Words | 5 Pages

When a felon comes home from prison they already have so many challenges to face. " … The largest barriers to building a normal life after prison are trouble finding jobs and housing, along with ongoing legal struggles. ”And that’s on top of even more basic challenges, like transportation to work or to see a probation officer. "(Lindley).Not only does voting give them normalcy, and a chance to contribute positively to society; It gives them a voice, a positive voice.

Read More

Felony Disenfranchisement Is Wrong

955 Words | 4 Pages

Felony voting: Unjust or rightful justice As of 2008 over 5.3 million Americans were denied the right to vote due to felony disenfranchisement laws. The United states is among the most punitive nations in the world when it comes to denying the right to vote and this has consequently caused voting rights to be a controversial issue for years now. Disenfranchisement can be linked back to centuries ago, in western countries, felony disenfranchisement can be traced back to ancient greek and roman traditions and was commonly used as a part of the punishment that was put on those convicted of “infamous” crimes and was a part of their civil deaths. Although, many people like myself believe that the limits that are being put on felons

Read More

Flon Disenfranchisement

1408 Words | 6 Pages

The American Civil Liberties Union describes the laws surrounding felon disenfranchisement “patchwork laws.” Felon voting laws have been established at the state level, meaning that there are a wide array of policies in place to address the issue. Vermont and Maine are the only two states where everyone has the right to vote regardless of their criminal history. Florida, Iowa, and Kentucky meanwhile are the only 3 states that permanently strip felons of their voting rights. The other 45 states have more nuanced laws, that allow felons to vote after completing certain parts of their sentencing.

Read More

Should Felons Have The Right To Vote Essay

481 Words | 2 Pages

Currently in America, voting rights for felons is a topic that does not have an equal consensus across states. In two states, Maine and Vermont, felons never lose their right to vote. While in others, they lose the right only when incarcerated and in the rest, this right is removed until completion of probation or pardon. Given that this country has the largest prison population, it is necessary for that percentage of the population to have a clear voice in making political decisions in order to have a fully functional democracy. Moreover, imprisonment serves as a punishment for crime(s) committed, but by punishing felons by taking away their right to vote, we are silencing them and stripping them of their rights to be a part of the society.

Read More

More about Pros And Cons Of Ex-Felons

Related Topics

Open Document