Many people claim it is a dangerous and risky if prisoners retain the right to vote in political matters. After all, they have somehow violated the laws of the state by committing a crime that led to their imprisonment. But democratic, constitutional states like Germany have not denied prisoners their right to vote. The following essay will argue in favour of that decision.
The idea of legal punishment by imprisonment is not revenge but retributivism because the government needs to make sure that these people are eventually able to reclaim a normal life. In Germany, the maximum penalty consists of 15 years. In cases of extreme severity of guilt, the penalty may be expanded up to 25 years. Afterwards, the prisoners are usually released again
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Since prisoners who behave in an exemplary manner have a chance at being released before they served their actual amount of imprisonment, this reminder can be seen as a measure to enforce discipline within prisons. These people normally want to return to their normal life as fast as possible. Thus, giving them this one specific right might even have positive effects for the wardens due to the prisoners maintaining discipline if they know they might be released …show more content…
Most of them want their loved ones to live a better life than them. The chance to vote for a certain party, for a presidential candidate or in other political matters may help those they love and care about. The right to vote is less of an opportunity for their own dreams and values, but more of an opportunity to help the ones they love. Therefore, denying them this possibility feels like a punishment for their friends and family. Since their loved ones are not responsible for the crime the person committed, the refusal to let the prisoner vote does not appear to be