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Should inmates have the right to vote?

  • 06-09-2011 9:42pm
    #1
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭


    Listening to this topic on the radio and thought I'd get the boardsie view on it.

    Do you think inmates should get an automatic vote on elections and other things?

    Personally I don't think they should get to vote as they give up their rights when they are convicted.

    Should inmates have a right to vote? 52 votes

    Yes
    0% 0 votes
    No
    21% 11 votes
    Depends on the crime
    78% 41 votes


Comments

  • #2
    Andromeda_111
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 252 ✭✭Andromeda_111


    My opinion would be that they should have no voting rights while in prison. That should be an entitlement they automatically lose should they chose to commit a crime that sees them banged up.


  • #3
    tfitzgerald
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,285 ✭✭✭tfitzgerald


    I think the sentence length should come in to it . If a sentence is longer than say two years them IMO the are outside society and should not be able to vote


  • #4
    oli2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19 ✭oli2


    theyd all just vote sf anyway


  • #5
    4leto
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,940 ✭✭✭4leto


    Yeah the only canvassers they will meet.


  • #6
    Musicman2006
    Closed Accounts Posts: 124 ✭✭Musicman2006


    OasisGirl wrote: »
    My opinion would be that they should have no voting rights while in prison. That should be an entitlement they automatically lose should they chose to commit a crime that sees them banged up.

    Theres the answer - close the thread.


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  • #7
    twowheelsonly
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,273 ✭✭✭twowheelsonly


    4leto wrote: »
    Yeah the only canvassers they will meet.

    Only because of the 'Cosy Cartel' that exists in this country.
    There's a lot more than SF that should be locked up!


  • #8
    starbelgrade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,739 ✭✭✭✭starbelgrade


    Deleted User wrote: »
    Personally I don't think they should get to vote as they give up their rights when they are convicted.

    People who go to prison still have rights & entitlements. One of them is the right to vote.

    If you believe that the way to treat people in prison is to lock them up & leave their human rights behind them at the door, then you seriously need to educate yourself.


  • #9
    charlemont
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,725 ✭✭✭charlemont


    I remember the guy who brought the government to court for the right of prisoners to vote, He was in for some form of fraud and worked in the Kitchens in Limerick Prison, I'm sure he was from Newcastle West. Small, Stout, Balding man with glasses.


  • #10
    ImpossibleDuck
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,154 ✭✭✭ImpossibleDuck


    Wasted my vote!!!! I thought it was "Should immigrants have the right to vote?"

    I was thinking "Depends on the crime" didn't make any sense at all.

    :/


  • #11
    TheZohanS
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,582 ✭✭✭✭TheZohanS


    The only person who should get a vote is Dutch Scooter Guy.


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  • #12
    LeeHoffmann
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,770 ✭✭✭LeeHoffmann


    they have the right now, don't they?


  • #13
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    starbelgrade wrote: »
    If you believe that the way to treat people in prison is to lock them up & leave their human rights behind them at the door, then you seriously need to educate yourself.

    Well that's why I started this thread, to see how many people agree.

    OasisGirl pretty much summed it up for me
    My opinion would be that they should have no voting rights while in prison. That should be an entitlement they automatically lose should they chose to commit a crime that sees them banged up.


  • #14
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    LeeHoffmann wrote: »
    they have the right now, don't they?

    Yes, but its a complicated set-up for them to go through.

    But either way, my question is should they have the right?


  • #15
    LeeHoffmann
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,770 ✭✭✭LeeHoffmann


    Yes, but its a complicated set-up for them to go through.
    Sorry if it's going off topic but any way to quickly explain?

    It's a tough one. On the one hand, I think people shouldn't lose their human rights when they enter prison. On the other hand, rights come with responsibility...should you still have the right to have a say in a society when you've violated the rules of that society? Then again, considering the possibility of rehabilitation...not allowing people to vote makes such rehabilitation even more unlikely. Weighing it up, I think I'm going to stick with the human rights argument - they're not meant to be conditional


  • #16
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    LeeHoffmann wrote: »
    Sorry if it's going off topic but any way to quickly explain?

    Here's the best explanation of it from citizensinformation.ie
    Right to Vote

    You have a right to be registered in the political constituency where you would normally live if you were not in prison. However, you have no right to be given physical access to a ballot box by temporary release or a postal vote or any other way.
    If you happen to be on parole or temporary release at the time of an election, you are free to vote where you are registered.
    Your rights if you are on remand are the same as if you were a convicted prisoner.
    The Electoral (Amendment) Act 2006 provides procedures that enable prisoners to vote by post. If you are in prison, you can register for a postal vote in the area that you would otherwise be living in. If you are already registered to vote in that area and wish to be able to vote from prison then you should fill out a form called Form RFG. If you are not already on the register then you should complete Form RFA4 as well. These application forms are available in all prisons and should be sent to the local authority for your area.


  • #17
    Jam
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 269 ✭✭Jam


    Deleted User wrote: »
    OasisGirl pretty much summed it up for me

    Ah, but the emphasis is on "choice". What of those wrongly convicted? (I know, there's always one.)

    No, I do not believe convicted criminals should have the right to vote. The choice to violate another's rights, invalidates one's own rights until the termination of the sentence.


  • #18
    7sr2z3fely84g5
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,571 ✭✭✭7sr2z3fely84g5


    its weird the prisoners can get a right to vote but any irish abroad cant.


  • #19
    EarlERizer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,192 ✭✭✭EarlERizer


    OasisGirl wrote: »
    My opinion would be that they should have no voting rights while in prison. That should be an entitlement they automatically lose should they chose to commit a crime that sees them banged up.
    Jam wrote: »
    No, I do not believe convicted criminals should have the right to vote. The choice to violate another's rights, invalidates one's own rights until the termination of the sentence.

    So what of all the known criminals not in prison? Do they have their right to vote taken from them? I mean,they're living as free citizens in our society so they're just like you & I (in the eyes of the law) i.e. a potential voter for whoever/whichever party,

    Does the rhetoric only apply for imprisoned criminals? If so,why? why stop there?
    Why not extend the denial of a vote to all and anyone with a criminal record?
    After all,at some point in their lives they've chosen to "violate anothers rights,invalidating their own" (according to the above from Jam),one of which been the right to vote.
    Brody Ambitious Cornflakes wrote: »
    its weird the prisoners can get a right to vote but any irish abroad cant.

    Why is that weird? if you think about it, the prisoner is resident in the country whereas those who choose to emigrate are no longer a 'citizen in residence'.
    If I was ever to emigrate I would be more concerned about having a voice/vote in whatever country I decided to call home.


  • #20
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    EarlERizer wrote: »
    So what of all the known criminals not in prison? Do they have their right to vote taken from them? I mean,they're living as free citizens in our society so they're just like you & I (in the eyes of the law) i.e. a potential voter for whoever/whichever party,

    Does the rhetoric only apply for imprisoned criminals? If so,why? why stop there?
    Why not extend the denial of a vote to all and anyone with a criminal record?
    After all,at some point in their lives they've chosen to "violate anothers rights,invalidating their own" (according to the above from Jam),one of which been the right to vote.

    If you're talking about criminals who have served their time in prison then I don't see the problem with them voting.

    But for criminals who are currently serving their time I don't think they should have a say in what goes on as their punishment is still ongoing.


  • #21
    D1stant
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,806 ✭✭✭D1stant


    They should be allowed to vote. And they should have to watch 3 hours of political party broadcasts per day. That'll teach 'em


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  • #22
    My name is URL
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,070 ✭✭✭✭My name is URL


    I doubt many of them vote anyway.. but no they shouldn't have the right to vote while in prison, and for more serious crimes they should lose the right to vote for life.


  • #23
    Jam
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 269 ✭✭Jam


    Deleted User wrote: »
    If you're talking about criminals who have served their time in prison then I don't see the problem with them voting.

    But for criminals who are currently serving their time I don't think they should have a say in what goes on as their punishment is still ongoing.


    EarlERizer, ah sure, even though they've been found guilty of a crime, why deny them their right to freedom of movement then? Lets let them all go. I can take this to extremes just as much as you can. As BigBoss said, and I specified, "termination of sentence", and as the topic stated: inmates.

    We could deny them much worse rights instead, if you prefer?


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