Preview

The Importance Of Ex-Felons In Prisons

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1520 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Importance Of Ex-Felons In Prisons
On April 15th 2013, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, bombed Boston during the Boston marathon; taking the lives of three innocent people and injuring many others. Tamerlan was killed in a gunfight against the police and his younger brother,Tsarnaev, was captured and imprisoned. Tsarnaev was sentenced to life in prison and a possibility of the death penalty. Now the question is if Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were to be released from prison, should he have the right to vote? So far states like Vermont and Maine grant ex-felons the right to vote, but states like Florida and Alabama do not allow ex-felons to vote. When released from prison, life for ex-felons isn't always easy because of what they have gone through and will are seen differently to society. Majority of the United States did not have ex felons …show more content…
Although, people think that not letting ex-felons to vote is unconstitutional and unfair, ex-felons should not have the right to vote as soon as they leave prison, but should undergo a program that helps those who want to change so that they could potentially gain their rights back. Ex-felons should not have the right to vote after they get out of prison because the highest authority, the president and high government officials, expressed no interest in changing the law so it seems like it is here to stay. If people can't meet the standard of society and the law, they shouldn’t be able to vote. If ex-felons couldn’t follow the law, they can't make the law for everyone else.
People who run the United States including President Donald J. Trump do not believe that ex-felons should have the right to vote. In President Trump’s own words, “They’re giving 200,000 people that have been convicted of heinous crimes, horrible crimes, the worst crimes, the right to vote.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Felons Right to Vote

    • 1154 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The lines are long, it’s raining, it’s hot, or it may be cold, but exercising your right to vote is as important as all of your other civil rights. As Americans we have came a very long way when it comes to protecting our civil rights, and choosing the right candidate to protect our country. In 1964, three civil right activist set out to set up a voter’s registry for African Americans, but it was short lived because they were brutally murder by members of the Klu Klux Klan in Philadelphia, Mississippi((IMBD). This helped pave the road for African Americans to get out and register to vote. Not long ago, only one-third of African Americans were registered to vote, and two third of the voters were white, because African Americans was terrified of voting, or they chose not to. While voting is a right that we all have, if you have committed a crime and it has been classified as a felon, in most states you are restricted from voting. Since the Voting Rights Act of 1965, there has been a significant increase of voters at the polls. It has increased significantly in the African America and Hispanic populations and due to this, President Obama, an African American, was voted into office in 2008, and is now serving his second term. There have been many protests regarding felons voting and their civil rights being violated. While three great men lost their lives over such a significant cause in Mississippi, in order for a convicted felon to vote in Mississippi, his or her state representative must personally author a bill reenfranchising that individual. Both houses of the legislature must then pass the bill. Re-enfranchisement can also be granted directly by the governor. (“ProCon.org”). …

    • 1154 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Back Ground Checks

    • 628 Words
    • 3 Pages

    We as a country, should have a structured re-entry process that empowers felons to slowly re-enter society working their way through simple job assignments where their ability to regain trust and credibility is documented through each step of the way. To this end, the government must utilize and apply their strengths and abilities in job assignments that would elevate in responsibility and complexity until these felons are ready to integrate into society. The best way to do this would be to provide incentives for private industry so that they would accept these candidates. Once this structured approach would be applied, it would be necessary to monitor success rates so that required changes could be implemented. To this end, we as a society might be able to say that we had not written off a whole group of society based on many simple short sighted, youthful errors in…

    • 628 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “They were not responsible enough to not get themselves in prison or become homeless” people might say, but that is why America has these programs. Studies show that “People who have been incarcerated greatly value their jobs when they get hired”. They work better proving themselves worthy of the job they are hired in. Giving people chances and hiring them benefits them and the employer.Businesses that hire ex-cons can “qualify for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit”. Consequently, America gives opportunities no matter what ex-convicts and ex-addicts didin the past. There are resources given to Americans every day to succeed in the working industry.No matter what rough patch an individual has had to go through they deserve a chance to try again. The process for a job may be long and stressful. Working on oneself to be prepared to get up and try to get a job, but these sources are here to help through it all. It benefits all America to help who ever needs the extra kick. These resources should be used while they are being provided to…

    • 779 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Revoking convicted felon’s rights to vote has been an issue at hand in politics since the beginning of our nation. Edward Fesser published an article in the magazine titled City Journal called “Should Felons Vote?” In the article he is arguing against the views of Democrats and their motives for restoring convicted felons voting rights. He says their motives are to expand their chances in winning an election. Edward Fesser’s argument is weak because he fails to provide substantial evidence supporting his arguments on the disenfranchisement of felons.…

    • 783 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    I think a convicted felon should have the right to vote after they spend their sentence in prison and finish with parole. I will give you three reasons why they should. My first reason is they are citizens like us and they might not be guilty. My second reason is ever though there not out and free they do watch TV to see what’s going on. My final reason is if it was polices officer or a famous person they still are aloud. The next paragraph I will tell you about my first reason.…

    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    According to the law, everyone is entitled to vote, to be specific, the age of 18 and above. I believe felons should be allowed to vote because people make mistakes. There are many people who want to live right, they can’t because they are being kept down, the situation they’re in leads them to be in a bad place. For example, if a person commits theft, it’s most likely they’re poor. He/she steals because they are desperate for what they don’t have; basic needs or necessities of life. I believe felons should be allowed to vote, even if they are criminals, they deserve a second chance, it is not fair to take away their right to vote. This is as if like taking away their freedom of speech. Everyone has a voice and it should stand out, even if…

    • 211 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    We as citizens can not always look back to peoples’ past to criticize them. Some individuals learn from their mistakes and should be given a second chance. At the time felons complete their sentence they can not be considered participating in rebellion or any other crime. This is because they already did the crime and paid their time. No one person in this world is perfect. Professional athletes are under contact with their respective teams and they still use illegal substances (which are a felony) and they get suspended for an amount of time, but they can rejoin their team. Most of them still have their voting rights. You can look at these athletes as a power majority group because they get more publicity and get treated different than the average…

    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Pros And Cons Of Felons

    • 677 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The fate of our country in a felon’s hands is not a scenario anyone would like to think about. These convicts have already proven themselves to not have the rationality of what people would say a normal person has. This entire group of criminals could be considered insane. Someone could argue that these people have the opposite of good morals. Convicted felons should not be able to vote because they have already proven that they are unsuitable to vote.…

    • 677 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When offenders seek employment and housing, they are often denied a position or home when employers and landlords retrieve their criminal history. Such practices create a significant struggle for ex-offenders to become productive citizens while avoiding recidivism. As we know, recidivism is harmful to both the offender, the community, and in some ways the economy/tax payer revenue. Approximately “sixty-billion dollars” is disbursed annually to house offenders’ country-wide and when ex-convicts reoffend and are sent back to prison, costs increase resulting in spiked taxes for citizens and overcrowding for…

    • 822 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Should prisoners serving life sentences for first degree murder be eligible for a parole hearing after 15 years? They shouldn’t. Criminals who hold life sentences for murder, rape, and kidnapping should stay in a jail cell. Without even the slightest chance of getting out. To many factors fall into play and the subject can only run deeper and deeper. These convicts were brutal in the outside world, and after taking their first step in a penitentiary it only gets worse. Their mental state crumbles, eventually leaving them hard wired to live in a dangerous environment. Being prosecuted for such terrible crimes, doesn’t happen just once for these people, and American citizens do not want these fist degree murderers set free in their communities.…

    • 1152 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are many reasons I believe ex-felons should be allowed to vote after they have faced their sentences. The vote in the presidential election is never accurate because many…

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ex felons should be able to vote after finishing probation or parole. voting would help them readjust to everyday life, we let them drive and buy alcohol, so why not let them vote. If we truly want people convicted of felonies to re-engage with society, become rehabilitated, and feel a part of a broader community (thus creating incentives not to recidivate) our state should do everything possible to re-incorporate these individuals into mainstream society.…

    • 442 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Benefits Of Ex-Felons

    • 225 Words
    • 1 Page

    You are correct, when you said that’ it is up to the states to restore the rights of a felon” I did my research and found out that depending on the state, the crime that was committed and the time that has passed since finishing the sentence, some ex-felons can have their voting rights restored. I even found out that there are two states that allow felons to vote while in prison (Vermont and Maine), I have to admit that I was not expecting that one.…

    • 225 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Persuasive Essay Felons

    • 439 Words
    • 2 Pages

    One reason felons should be able to vote when they get out of prison is because of racial discrimination. As many people know black people are wrongly accused of crimes…

    • 439 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This essay discusses my reflection on whether or not felons should have the right to vote. A felon is defined as a person who has been convicted of a felony, which is a crime punishable by death or a term in state or federal prison. A felony is a serious crime usually punishable by imprisonment or death. Convicted felons should not be allowed to vote. Many Americans were not allowed to vote these past elections. It wasn’t because they didn’t pay taxes or were mentally incompetent or underage. The reason why they can’t vote is because they are convicted felons. Once someone has committed a serious crime or felony, they have shown that they are not trustworthy enough to vote. Because they disobeyed the law, they should not have the obligation to vote. If one is sent to prison, they have agreed that most of their rights have been taken. Prison is meant to be a punishment and one of their punishments is their loss of freedom and democratic rights for their time of their sentence. Convicted felons have also demonstrated poor judgment and should not be trusted with a vote. The main point of a prison sentence to show the offender and society that criminal behavior results in loss of freedom and most of the rights that freedom has to offer. Therefore felons should not be allowed to vote. Although some people believe that felons should be allowed to vote at any circumstance but I believe that if they are felons they have already lost that opportunity because they have decided to make the choice to participate in criminal activities. If the felon is not willing to follow the law himself, then they should not demand the right to vote. In California, felons serving time in prison or county jail are denied their right to vote. According to The Sentencing Project, 5.3 million Americans were unable to vote in 2008 due to a felony conviction. Unfortunately, statistics show that this number is expected to rise to 6 million.…

    • 574 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays