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Not only do I think non-incarcerated felons should have the right to vote, I think currently incarcerated should as well. Hell, set up a voting location in the prison.
That’s how it works in most civilised countries.
That’s how it works in
mostcivilised countries.I added the qualifier mainly because of New Zealand. AFAIK the country has otherwise its shit together.
Even better, let’s stop doing prisons
Certainly cutting back 9 out of 10 prisons is a good idea. I don’t object to the idea that there is a certain amount of people who need to be removed for their own and the public’s safety.
But is a prison really where someone like that should go/it should be called? I would argue those people should be in a mental asylum, not what we have as prisons today (though today’s mental asylums aren’t necessarily more humane)
Something like Norway’s system is ideal imo
I mean, if responding to my comment about removing some people for “their own safety,” then sure, there are better places that prisons.
But really what I was saying is there are people who do and will continue to be violent toward others, and prisons probably are the right place for them.
But I’m in full agreement that the US incarcerates far far too many people that don’t fit into that description.
The justice system should, not is but should, be in the business of making things right for people who have been wronged and rehabilitating people who have done wrong, as an extension of preventing wrong from recurring, which is itself part of making things right for those wronged.
There is some theoretical minority of people who can’t be rehabilitated and don’t belong in medical treatment. There are some people where putting them in a medical facility would itself be an injustice to the staff and other patients. The vast majority of people with mental illness are perfectly safe and more likely to be the victim of a crime. Mixing them with billy mcSlapChop the worst person imaginable just creates a lot of dead people with poorly managed bipolar disorder.
The vast majority of crimes can be handled by the judge finding you guilty and then just letting you go.
Lee Carter is a former Democratic Socialist member of the Virginia House of Delegates (2018–2022) who actively championed prison abolition and criminal justice reform.
An imprisoned felon has no voice, but a free felon can be president.
A lot of world leaders are criminals.
Indubitably.
Currently it depends on the state/district.
https://legalclarity.org/in-what-states-can-felons-vote-state-by-state-laws/
Only the District of Columbia, Maine, and Vermont allow people with felony convictions to vote at all times, including while serving time in prison
Good for Trump that DC is on the list, otherwise he should have trouble voting.
Yet another reason to move to Vermont some day
Wait until you hear about countries that prevent even their non-criminals from actually voting. They usually hold an election but it’s just theatrical, your text in vote for the next pop idol is more statistically valuable.
Coming soon to a United States near you
