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”). …
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…
“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…
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.…
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.…
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…
Felons should not be able to vote because they have already waived that right by committing a serious crime. These criminals might as well be considered children for the foolish mistakes that they made. Their chance has passed to make a positive difference in the country. There are too many felons in the country for the elections to not be swayed. The people of America do not want the fate of their country in a group of felon's…
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…
This is more reasonable that a felon does have the opportunity to restore their voting rights but the process is difficult. There is a whole process with laws surrounding disenfranchisement and it is difficult to determine whose rights can be restored. The process is so lengthy and daunting that ex-felons would probably give up even trying. If you are going to give someone the privilege of restoring their right, then why must it be made so difficult? If they are trying to do better and contribute, then I do not believe that it should be so hard for them to so. The system claims that they want felons to be on a road to redemption once they get out but then they go back and make it such a difficult process to do so. It just does not make sense and I believe that there should be a simpler way for them to get their voting rights back when they are pushing to do…
The number of Americans who cannot vote because they have been convicted of a felon continues to rise. According to the National institute of justice about a quarter of felons are in prison, but the rest have completed their sentences and are on probation or parole. The only reason not to let them vote is to stigmatize them or to continue punishing them. Voting would help ex felons re-engage with society by showing them that they have equal importance in the society, for example ,it shows that their opinion is just as important as anyone else's. Also, this may not always be a good thing. Not all ex felons can be trusted and not all ex felons judgment and credibility can be trusted.…
Many have heard the saying “if you do the crime, you must do the time”. This saying signifies that if one acts upon a certain action, he/she must live with the consequences of their actions. For the most part, prison is a consequence for offenders. However, ex-offenders are still suffering the consequences of their actions even after doing “the time”. Certain ex-felons upon release from prison have their voting rights taken away from them, depending on the state. Some may petition to get voting rights restored but many do not have the opportunity. Ex-felons spend years paying their debt to society only to come out and continue to be punished. Not being allowed to vote is not fair to the ex-felons, and their right should be restored.…
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…
People make mistakes in their lives and want to turn their life into something positive but their background stops them from doing so. There are more than 73% of jobs that requires a background check before you get hired at the company. Most companies will hire you but others look at what the conviction was and determine whether to give you the opportunity to be employed with them. A person can try to go to school and get a degree but it is still a chance they will not be able to get the job they want. A lot of people that have criminal backgrounds have the skills to do certain jobs but they get shut out when it comes down to the background check.…
When society hears the words “convict” or “felon”, thoughts often take a negative route. Most of society would not want to affiliate themselves with an ex-inmate because of the stigma. People affiliate ex-inmates with people who will not better themselves, who will not gain proper employment, and who will end up back in prison. Negative thoughts on such a topic are natural since it is true in the United States; most individuals in prison will reoffend and find themselves back in prison. With prisons in the United States becoming over populated, should there be different efforts adopted by more facilities to help individuals become functioning members of society?…
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.…