{"id":222,"date":"2020-10-29T13:32:37","date_gmt":"2020-10-29T13:32:37","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2021-06-10T11:13:54","modified_gmt":"2021-06-10T11:13:54","slug":"felony-disenfranchisement-us-6889","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawteacher.net\/free-law-essays\/criminology\/felony-disenfranchisement-us-6889.php","title":{"rendered":"Felony Disenfranchisement in the US"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine a world that you are unable to vote because you got in the heat of a moment of a football match. Being convicted of a felony either violent or non-violent will result in the disenfranchisement of their rights during and after sentence. Voting is a crucial part of today\u2019s society and democracy. Felons should get all voting rights as soon as they have finished their sentence because they are American citizens with the right to vote, they have completed their time and punishment, and though many will say they lost their freedom when they committed the crimes the disenfranchisement from the polls inhibits millions of Americans from expressing their say.<\/p>\n

Felon\u2019s after the complete their punishment are still American Citizens. Alex Friedmann said, \u201cIf society doesn’t care enough about former prisoners to treat them as citizens, with the voting rights of citizens, then why should former prisoners care enough about society to act like law-abiding citizens?\u201d If ex-convicts are not treated with some respect what is stopping them from respecting the law? Voting and expressing an opinion is what build this nation; no taxation without representation. Felons still pay taxes once out and therefore should have a say in government.<\/p>\n

Felons are required to follow the laws of the land but are unable to say which laws they want and those they disagree with. \u201cThe 15th Amendment to the Constitution says: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race,\u201d [Browne.] It is a constitutional right to be able to vote. While incarcerated you forfeit those rights, but once you are reintroduced into society, you regain certain rights. Citizenship isn\u2019t removed for a felony crime but on crimes against the state. Being able to vote brings a sense of national and self-pride.<\/p>\n

Felons are set a certain length of punishment after the time has pass felons regain rights and freedoms. \u201cPrisoners now finish their sentences without parole and are released with just a bus ticket home and about $150–no skills and no assistance finding employment. Giving them the right to vote alone won’t save them from returning to crime, but it’s free, and it can’t hurt.\u201d [Thompson]. Prisoners served their time and giving rights to vote helps them get back on track or at least encourages it. One vote won\u2019t change and election but millions will.<\/p>\n

Felons serve time-related to sentences. If you don’t allow voting rights to return afterward is essentially forcing them to serve a\u00a0 extended punishment. Ten years means ten years of no voting, not a lifetime. \u201cEven after they have completed their sentences; the specifics vary by state. These policies disproportionately impact African Americans\u2014a situation that reflects the discriminatory origins from which the policies emerged.\u201d [Purtle]. Disenfranchisement is just a way to have power over African Americans like Jim crow or literacy tests.<\/p>\n

The constitution says that those who committed serious crimes are denied certain rights. \u201cEvery other federal court of appeals so far has ruled against using the Voting Rights Act to give felons the right to vote.\u201d [Browne]. Violent and Non-violent felony crimes are denied the right to vote. We pass legislature into law to allow voting for all but also pass the same laws to keep select groups from voting. \u201cThere are certain minimum and objective standards\u2026\u201d [Browne]. We keep children from voting, and the mentally incompetent from voting and felons fall under the same category. Those who don\u2019t uphold the same morally compass are denied rights.<\/p>\n

Many Americans fall into the category of unfit to vote because they are ex-felons. Millions of United States citizens who have served their punishment and are now active in society aren\u2019t allowed to vote and express what happens to them. This is dangerous. The country built on the belief of representation is lacking it in its very borders. \u201cAbolitionists, viewed at the time as radicals, embraced what has been called a philosophy of formal equality. They not only insisted on the liberation and enfranchisement of former slaves, but also supported the disenfranchisement of criminals, rebels and other wrongdoers.\u201d [Mukasey]. Abolitionists who wanted change that was hard to accept let to laws that helped but that was long ago, and we need new abolitionists to fight for those who can\u2019t vote today. A few million votes can change elections. During the 2000 election, Al Gore lost Florida by 537 votes; which would have swayed the entire presidential election. Florida has been notorious with disenfranchisement and only started to work on it this year.<\/p>\n

Felony disenfranchisement had been a problem in the United States since we started voting and it is still something we can\u2019t figure out. People are stripped of a right that built this nation. American citizens whether committed a crime or not are still citizens. Felons are punished for there actions by prison time; therefore, their punishment shouldn\u2019t be extended outside of the cement walls. The disenfranchisement of felons sways elections and keeps Americans from expression real opinion. Humans aren\u2019t perfect and shouldn\u2019t be punished forever on actions of the past. Withholding criminal’s from voting is hypocritical of what this nation stands for.<\/p>\n

Work Cited<\/p>\n