Felon disenfranchisement Essay -- Criminal Justice

One of the more controversial debates in today’s political arena, especially around election times, is that of felon disenfranchisement. The disenfranchisement of felons, or the practice of denying felons and ex-felons the right to vote, has been in practice before the colonization of America and traces back to early England; however, it has not become so controversial and publicized until recent times. â€Å"In today’s political system, felons and ex-felons are the only competent adults that are denied the right to vote; the total of those banned to vote is approximately 4.7 million men and women, over two percent of the nation’s population† (Reiman 3). Many people believe that felons do not deserve the right to vote. For these people, voting is not an inherent right; rather it is a privilege given to deserving people that wish to make a positive change to their lives. Some believe that, â€Å"†¦there is no reason for a felon to vote or to debate about whether or not they have that right†¦they made the choice to break the law, so why should they have any say in making it?† {Siegel} In this point of view, giving felons the right to vote is similar to rewarding them. With the right to vote, felons are still able to sway decisions regarding the lives of a society they are no longer a part of. Felons are meant to be punished, stripped of numerous rights including that of voting. Punishments, then, are made to restrict a person, not give them more freedom and decision. If felons are allowed to vote, one must consider the effects it would have on the elections. Many people believe that felons make the wrong choices for a reason, that they are clearly lacking something law-abiding citizens have. Professor Christopher Manfredi ... ..., Parole, and Community Corrections. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2005. Jeffrey Reiman. â€Å"Liberal and Republican Arguments Against the Disenfranchisement of Felons.† Criminal Justice Ethics 24.1 (2005): 3-18. Criminal Justice Periodicals. ProQuest. Ryan Library, New Rochelle, NY. 13 Dec. 2007. http://www.proquest.com/. Losing the Vote. 1998. The Sentencing Project. 11 Jan. 2007. http://www.hrw.org/reports98/vote/usvot98o.htm. Siegel, Larry J. Criminology. 8th ed. Lowell: Thomson Wadsworth, 2003. United States. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics – 2002. Albany: The Hindelang Criminal Justice Research Center, 2003. United States. Federal Bureau of Investigations. Uniform Crime Reports. Sept. 2007. 12 Feb 2007. http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2006/index.html