General Chat

Europe says they should. Is it part of their punishment not to?

No they shouldn't be allowed to vote.

No. The idea of Prison is to exclude them from Society.

No they shouldnt

Why on earth should they be allowed to act like normal human beings and live by the rules of the country, when they couldn't in the real world?

No - As Gramp Jim put it, the point of prison is to exclude someone from society.

No, they gave uo that right when they chose to be a nuisance to society.

It depends what they are prisoners for doesnt it, somebody could be put in prison for debt or that they cant pay poll tax because of debt lets not generalise here and say because somebody is a prisoner they are a completly bad person not always so! Dave

Definite no no. They chose a criminal lifestyle, exclusion is part of their punishment. I don't expect most of them vote when they're free to do so anyway but I'll bet there'll be a queue if they're given the opportunity on the inside. Jan

A person who is incarcerated in prison is there because of a 'crime' against society, decided by the law of the land. Why on earth should they be allowed the priviledge of a vote? I actually feel that prisoners in this country are not treated harshly enough as it is - why give them more? Jacqui

There was a 'Have your say' thing on BBC website in Teesside. I answered there as I will here... They shouldn't have any priviledges what-so-ever. They are in prison because they have broken the law of the land. Whilst some of them may be there wrongly, most are there rightly. They shouldn't be allowed these things if they can't abide by the law in this country.

Dave has a point I suppose. Then again, if a Political Party were to promise to change, say the law regarding Cannabis and to offer amnesty to all those prisoners in jail on related charges, then can we deny their right to want that to happen? After all, the Law is only what the current Majority want it to be.

The whole point of a prison sentance is to take away the crimminals' liberty. therefore allowing them to vote would be a contradiction!!

According to my husband I am a so called 'do gooder' but I try to see both sides of the picture and make a fair answer but I have to say on this issue a definate NO Janet

'Hypothetical Story' I take my 80 year old Mum shopping and get parking fine,I cant pay it because I havent got the money. Police issue distress warrant I cant pay! put him in jail does that mean I have to lose my human rites to vote! I agree in the main they should not have right to vote but not in all cases! Dave

Dave, you can't have one rule for one, and one for another. It would cause riots! Likelyhood is, if you fail to pay a fine, you'd only be in there overnight anyways. In my opinion, prisoners get far more priviledges than they should anyways. Some prisons are better equipped that hotels! (I know, I've seen them)

NO Ann

I think they shouldn't (and as everyone knows I am a softie-leftie). As to the argument that suffragettes were imprisoned for committing criminal acts in the cause of getting the vote, again that is using today's standards to judge those of the past. I am 100% in favour of women's suffrage and admire many suffragettes. But you can't look at individual prisoners and argue 'well I don't think your crime was very bad so you can vote - but your crime was so you can't'. The fact that someone has been imprisoned for long enough to miss an election is proof that their crime is significant in the eyes of the law. nell

Sentenced prisoners should be granted the right to vote, according to the Prison Reform Trust. , PRT argues that 'Giving prisoners the vote would encourage them to take the responsibilities that come with citizenship. It would also encourage politicians to take more of an active interest in prisons, which in turn would raise the level of debate about prisons and penal policy'. 'government exists by the consent of the governed' In nearly every country in Europe prisoners have the right to vote including Ireland! This isnt entirely my view but I do think certain prisoners should have the right! Dave

The whole point of a prison sentence is to keep the criminal away from soceity and that should exclude them from voting too. Anne .