Guy Padraic Hamilton-Smith and Matthew Vogel have published a 24-page study that shows a link between recidivism and the policy of not permitting ex-felons to register to vote. It can be read at this link. At least 5,300,000 individuals in the United States have lost their voting rights due to the policy of some states of not letting ex-felons register.
The study concludes, “Taken as a whole, our findings indicate that states which permanently disenfranchise ex-felons experience significantly higher rates of repeat offenses than states that do not.” Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.
The article does not really give credit to the best arguments in favor of felon disenfranchisement, which are discussed on our website and in my testimony before Congress. See http://www.ceousa.org/content/blogcategory/64/93/
The article, in its penultimate paragraph, acknowledges that there are a lot of uncontrolled variables here, and that it shows at most correlation and not causation. I would add that, for individuals (versus states), cause and effect may run in the other direction: Felons don’t turn over a new leaf because they can vote; they vote because they have turned over a new leaf.
More MADNESS — a FELON murderer, armed robber, home invader, rapist, child molester, etc. suddenly gets religion and sees the light [other folks have life, liberty and property RIGHTS] after voting for the first time after being in a slammer for years ???
Such FELONS somehow look up the LAW after being sentenced and put in a Jail — to see the secondary effects [PUNISHMENT] of their felony sentences ???
YEAH. SURE. Part of the New Age bleeding heart suicidal INSANITY ??? Duh.
Any brain scans of FELONS out of jail in YES vote States and NO vote States ???
ANY differences in their brains / souls ???
Added note — it should be noted that lots of folks in jail have serious mental problems
— due to mental health cutbacks in the States lots of such mentally ill folks commit felony crimes to get a place to exist in — a slammer
— i.e. can NOT function in *normal* civilian society.
Thus a lot of the repeat felony crimes by the ill folks — many of whom who can NOT read or write.
Once a convicted felon has served his or her time, full citizenship should be restored. Many people who vote are mentally ill, a much larger group of voters are just plain stupid. Those two groups of people are not prevented from voting, neither should convicted felons.
End disenfranchisement now!
And restore gun ownership rights, too.
Once you’ve done your time, you’ve done your time, and that should be it, period. ‘
As for voting, there really is no reason to take voting rights away even while a person is actually in prison, never mind once they are out. Maine and Vermont allow prisoners to vote and other states should too.
Allowing felons to vote is merely another ploy to increase Democratic Party turnout similar to allowing people to vote without showing i.d.
Baloney. Many of the people willing to look beyond the establishment parties are “felons.” For that matter many felons never did anything wrong (many victimless “crimes” are felonies) or have changed.
Besides, why should any of us care whether the Democrats or Republicans win? They do pretty much the same things once elected.