Should prisoners get the vote?

[Simon Darkshade]

While they are in: None
Minor offences/misdemeanours can apply to rejoin the electoral roll once they have been released. Their case should be reviewed by a tribunal on an individual basis.
This presumes that they have fulfilled the necessary requirements to gain the right to vote in the first place, prior to their offending. Those who have not should be given the opportunity to earn said right after they have been released, having paid their debt to society.

 

[GenMarshall]

Well, the prisoners have lost their privlage to vote so I dont see why they should vote.

 

[Richard Cribb]

I have an uneasy feeling with restricting the right to vote. Not all sentenced prisoners are guilty and with a biased legal system it could happen that large groups (minorities, poor) are without the right to vote.
Poverty caused crime -> less poor people with the right to vote -> less policy for poor people -> even more poverty with more poverty caused crime
The three times guilty -> life sentence does not help the situation either. My feeling is that restricting the right to vote will end in a downward spiral, therefore no restriction is the best solution (with the exception of mentally ******** and insane people).

Excellent post.