The Importance of Disenfranchisement Nationwide
Across the United States, there are four major policies followed by the state governments, regarding the disenfranchisement of felons. By having different regulations for contrasting “levels” of punishment, there is a significant gray area in the expectations of U.S. disenfranchisement. The United States must implement a policy that is upheld nationwide, concerning the disenfranchisement of felons.This nationwide procedure must not discriminate against race, sex, gender, or the crime committed. This will ensure all people receive impartial and equitable treatment while regaining their rights and returning to society. Felons should be restricted of voting privileges for the period of time during
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Cory N Steinle, educator for the Penn State Presidential Leadership Academy, recently published her beliefs on disenfranchisement. “To me, all felons should not be allowed to vote. It’s not because they’re incorrigible. It’s not because they can’t be reformed. It’s because disenfranchisement is an effective deterrent on crime.” (Steinle, Cory N, Felons Shouldn’t Have the Right to Vote) Though banishing those convicted of a felony is a potential way to eliminate the disenfranchisement problem in the United States, it does nothing but sweep individuals rights under the rug. “I also believe that once an offender has fully paid his debt to society, he deserves a second chance…” (McDonnell, Robert F., Felon Voting) Citizens must understand the importance of maintaining voting rights within all race, age, and gender populations. Voting rights are not being “handed back” to the ex-convict. There are steps, and procedures they must follow in order to regain their rights as a civically engaged citizen. But, having the 90-day waiting period, and enforcing that felons partake in the renewal of their rights, this guarantees that the individuals actually want to have their rights restored, and they want to partake in society once again. Reentry into society can be a difficult part of rehabilitation. Getting a job, finding a place to reside, paying court fees, regaining the trust of friends and family can all be discouraging processes. Studies show that by reentering society and participating in elections and polls, ex-convicts are significantly less likely to fall into recidivism. Participating in an election can make an individuals voice feel heard. Hans A.von Spakovsky, law reform initiator and senior legal fellow spoke on felon restoration rights for The Heritage Foundation. “Recidivism among felons is extremely high. The U.S. Justice Department reports that over
What if one day you weren't allowed to voice your opinion about the people who run our country, your country, in other words, if you couldn’t vote? A lot of people don’t vote, but what if you didn’t even have the right to do so? In 12 states, ex-felons aren’t allowed to vote even after serving their prison time. When you think of a felon you probably think of someone that has done terrible things and shouldn't have a voice in politics, but that figure should be changed. One lady, by the name of Leola Strickland, isn’t allowed to vote because she has a felony on her record for postdating a few checks and having them bounce because she lost her job(1).
Throughout the nation there are 5.3 million Americans who are denied their right to vote because they have a criminal conviction on their record (“Felon Voting Rights”). In the state of Florida, a felon can’t apply for his right to vote to be restored until at least five years after he has completed his sentence, with no guarantee of his rights being restored. Violent and repeat felons haven’t proved they are good citizens; however non-violent felons, who have committed victimless crimes, should be allowed to have their rights restored when they have served their time and paid off their fines. Non-violent felons would have a better chance of readapting into society because they would be able to vote in elections, be rehabilitated, and return to fully contributing members of society.
Criminals are not only punished once for their crimes, they are punished twice, and these invisible punishments follow them throughout their lifetime. Travis explains that these punishments are a form of “social exclusion”, not purposely designed but merely due to the operation of law. Travis further explains that offenders are denied the right to vote, and even denied student loans. For example, even though a drug addict has served his sentence and rehabilitates himself, the opportunity to receive higher education to advance himself is denied. He demonstrates how the idea of denying offenders certain rights is not a new concept.
In the United States 2.2 million citizens are incarcerated on felony charges. Laws in America prohibit felons from voting. As a result, on Election Day 5.3 million citizens of America are disenfranchised because of crimes they once committed. Though they once broke the law, they have served their time and have been punished adequately in accordance with the American Justice System. Felons should regain full voting rights after their stint in prison.
Michelle Alexander, in her book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, examines the development of institutionalized racism following the war on drugs, and how it has created what Alexander calls a “New Jim Crow era,” or a racial caste in the US. Alexander describes this undercaste as, “a lower caste of individuals who are permanently barred by law and custom from mainstream society,” (Alexander, 32). Not only is this because of mass incarceration rates among black men, but extends to the effects that these branded felons must face beyond prison walls. By checking the well known box on any application, it has become legal for almost any institution or corporation to discriminate against a marked felon. Alexander notes that, “Once you’re labeled a felon, the old forms of discrimination – employment discrimination, housing discrimination, denial of the right to vote, denial of educational opportunity, denial of food stamps and other public benefits, and exclusio...
The United States has a larger percent of its population incarcerated than any other country. America is responsible for a quarter of the world’s inmates, and its incarceration rate is growing exponentially. The expense generated by these overcrowded prisons cost the country a substantial amount of money every year. While people are incarcerated for a number of reasons, the country’s prisons are focused on punishment rather than reform, and the result is a misguided system that fails to rehabilitate criminals or discourage crime. The ineffectiveness of the United States’ criminal justice system is caused by mass incarceration of non-violent offenders, racial profiling, and a high rate of recidivism.
The United States is one of the only few democratic countries that disenfranchises convicted felons. An estimated 5.85 million people charged with a felony are banned from voting. Moreover, felon disenfranchisement laws are a form of racial discrimination because a large percentage of felons are Hispanic, Latino or African American that have been incarcerated as a result of racial profiling. Denying felons from voting is unconstitutional since the right to vote and cast a ballot is supposed to be the cornerstone of democracy. Felons who have completed their sentence should be restored their right to vote as they should be able to participate in elections just like every other citizen. Despite being charged with a felony, felons are also American
... 2 -. Copyright 2006 by Northwestern University, School of Law. Hull, Elizabeth. The Disenfranchisement of Ex-Felons.
Most black Americans are under the control of the criminal justice today whether in parole or probation or whether in jail or prison. Accomplishments of the civil rights association have been challenged by mass incarceration of the African Americans in fighting drugs in the country. Although the Jim Crow laws are not so common, many African Americans are still arrested for very minor crimes. They remain disfranchised and marginalized and trapped by criminal justice that has named them felons and refuted them their rights to be free of lawful employment and discrimination and also education and other public benefits that other citizens enjoy. There is exists discernment in voting rights, employment, education and housing when it comes to privileges. In the, ‘the new Jim crow’ mass incarceration has been described to serve the same function as the post civil war Jim crow laws and pre civil war slavery. (Michelle 16) This essay would defend Michelle Alexander’s argument that mass incarcerations represent the ‘new Jim crow.’
Prisons and correctional facilities in the United States have changed from rehabilitating people to housing inmates and creating breeding grounds for more violence. Many local, state, and federal prisons and correctional facilities are becoming more and more overcrowded each year. If the Department of Corrections (DOC) wants to stop having repeat offenders and decrease the volume of inmates entering the criminal justice system, current regulations and programs need to undergo alteration. Actions pushed by attorneys and judges, in conjunction current prison life (including solitary confinement), have intertwined to result in mass incarceration. However, prisoner reentry programs haven’t fully impacted positively to help the inmate assimilate back into society. These alterations can help save the Department of Corrections (DOC) money, decrease the inmate population, and most of all, help rehabilitate them. After inmates are charged with a crime, they go through the judicial system (Due Process) and meet with the prosecutor to discuss sentencing.
In recent decades, violent crimes in the United States of America have been on a steady decline, however, the number of people in the United States under some form of correctional control is reaching towering heights and reaching record proportions. In the last thirty years, the incarceration rates in the United States has skyrocketed; the numbers roughly quadrupled from around five hundred thousand to more than 2 million people. (NAACP)In a speech on criminal justice at Columbia University, Hillary Clinton notes that, “It’s a stark fact that the United States has less than five percent of the world’s population, yet we have almost 25 percent of the world’s total prison population. The numbers today are much higher than they were 30, 40
...he right to vote. I made a ten question survey that asked questions about letting convicted felons have the right to vote in major elections throughout America. Thirteen out of thirty high school students said that convicted felons should have the right to vote because they are American citizens. The other seventeen people I surveyed said that they should not have the right to vote because they had their chance to perform correctly in society and failed miserably. As you can now see, I have given you many reasons to see that convicted felons should not have the right to vote. They cannot be trusted with such a responsibility as voting for this country’s next leader.
Although this right is considered fundamental, restrictions have been placed on this right. The main restriction is placed on persons convicted of a felony conviction, all felonies, not just infamous ones. Today on Election Day, as Americans wait in line to cast their vote, over 4.65 million people are denied this most fundamental democratic right because of a past or present felony conviction. It is true that some felons can make bad judgments that are provocative and rebellious and the foundation to further jeopardy. In fact, statistics show the number of times prisoners had been arrested was the best predictor of whether they would commit more crimes after being released and how quickly they would return to their criminal ways....
Continually, small legal action are being taken to help fix felons who are denied the right to vote. The Attorney General has been “urging states to repeal their laws that prohibit millions of felons from voting” (Star-Ledger Editorial Board, 2014). This is because, the removal voting rights for felons is punishing felons even more, even if they had a...
Felony disenfranchisement is legally revoking citizens, who have been imprisoned for felony charges, of their right to vote. States are currently allowed, by law, to forbid felons from voting. In thirty-eight states, including the District of Columbia, felons’ rights to vote are restored immediately after they have completed their sentences and probational consequences (“Felony Voting Rights”). In other states, ex-cons must go through a process to get their voting rights back, which they have to apply for (“Felony Voting Rights”). Felony disenfranchisement is another way for our government to discriminate racially because African-American males are statistically the most affected by this law. I have numerous statists and a personal story from