Should prisoners have the vote? (POLL) Leicester MP Keith Vaz wants your view

“Many people go to jail for refusing to pay immoral fines and taxes or may have broken some rule of politically correct etiquette. These people are still citizens and I rate them more than the stupid people who would deny them the vote.”

“Let them vote?? ok improve the prisons for them, let them out at weekends, hand them money and half their sentences. Where does this good will end to these people who cause misery and expense to so many.”

“by moonage
"This headline should re-read 'MP Keith Vaz wants your vote'


Why should it? He will speak on this subject and it makes a change for an MP to canvas their constituents opinions. Also as Chair of the Home Affairs select Committee, he may well lead questions on this”

“Joe, I think I finally understand your question; I think you are asking do I think that the criminals in the examples you outline should be protected from abuses by the state under human rights legislation? Absolutely. Can they use it as a "get out of jail free" card? Absolutely not.

The entire basis of the human rights movement was the treatment of prisoners by different states in the 20th Century. To claim that prisoners are the one group who do not deserve protection from the state against abuses of their human rights goes against their entire raison d'être. Are you really saying that the right to "Freedom from Torture" or the "Right to a Fair Trial", for example, should be removed from prisoners?”

“"sani...if your house is burgled,the person sent to prison,do you think they have a claim to human rights? yes or no .
If you were raped,and the person sent to prison,do you think they have a claim to human rights?yes or no
If a person you know is murdered,the person sent to prison for the murder,do you think the person has a claim to human rights?yes or no"

I'm not sure what you are asking here? Can a person claim sending them to prison is breach of their human rights as a general rule? Absolutely not. You seem to think they can?

"If some one assaults my wife and I find the person and assault him/her,where are you with human rights on this issue?"

Human rights only cover abuses by the state (or their actors) as rule, so no, it wouldn't be a human rights issue in any form (it would be an assault issue). I'm getting quite concerned that you actually know absolutely nothing about human rights legislation? You do know human rights legislation protects people from having their rights abused by the STATE don't you? Because if you don't even know a fundamental basic like that they I'm afraid I'm just going to discard any view you have on human rights as worthless.................”

“This headline should re-read 'MP Keith Vaz wants your vote'.
When someone commits a crime, and they are incarcerated, as far as i'm concerned, they forfeit the right to participate in outside life. Prison should be a deterrent. No, criminals, when you choose to be housed by Her Majesty, You lose certain rights, and this is one of them.”

“Criminals deciding on which laws are unjust?

Interesting concept

'There are many people in prison who have broken unjust laws' !!!!!!!!!”

“This issue has nothing to do with prisoners being given comfort. (Which prisoner thinks "If only I could vote right now; That'd really hit the spot..."?) Prisoners being allowed to vote is a small but important safeguard on democracy: It makes it that little bit less likely that unjust laws are passed (or remain in place very long) and it makes it a little more futile to have such a thing as political prisoners.

There are people in prison who have broken unjust laws. You and I may disagree over which laws are unjust, but in my experience most people can think of some if asked; No one would disagree that it is at least possible for unjust laws to be passed. Shouldn't someone who has unjustly been made criminal be allowed to vote to change this?

I'm not saying this is a big problem in Britain. We don't really have political prisoners, and the laws we live by are mostly pretty good (or so obvoius that every country in the world has an equivalent law), but it wouldn't hurt to take an extra step to safeguard our freedom.

What are people afraid of anyway? A candidate supporting the legalization of theft or murder? I don't think this is likely to happen. If there were such a candidate would a thief or a murderer vote for them? I doubt it. Would this candidate stand a chance of winning even if thieves or murderers voted for them? If they did it would suggest a problem beyond just the prison population.

It won't make people any less afraid of commiting an offence either. Prison is a deterrent, but I'd be surprised if anyone has ever stepped back from the brink of criminality thinking "Careful... I wouldn't want to be disenfranchised!"

We have nothing to be afraid of from prisoners voting: They'll only vote for the obvoius two (or three (or seven)) parties and no politician would risk being seen to appeal to criminals, but it would make it that little bit more difficult for our country to decline into totalitarianism. Voting has to be a universal right because it protects all of our rights, no matter who is voting.”

“What tosh! There are a vast number of more important issues to deal with than this! Imprisoned criminals in this country should be thankful for their lot compared to most of the rest of the world.”

“You're civil rights should be revoked once you commit a crime.. No crime is victimless!!! And Keith Vaz?? Please just stop jumping on band wagons!!”