Should incarcerated convicts get the right to vote?

[Anakha1]

Convicted serial robber Kevin Culmer calls his new right to help pick Canada's next Prime Minister a "great gift of humanity." The 42-year-old dual citizen of the Bahamas is among 12,000 federal prisoners -- including mass murderers, serial rapists and child molesters -- who now have the right to vote behind bars.

This week Elections Canada is distributing information kits and posters to all penitentiaries, advising inmates their vote is secret, simple -- and that "it counts."

Culmer, who stays informed on the daily issues of the campaign while doing time for 14 robberies, will encourage his fellow inmates to join him in casting a ballot. He believes it instills a sense of civic responsibility.

"Voting is the greatest exercise in freedom that one can have, and to allow us to vote is a great gift of humanity," he said in an interview at Pittsburgh Institution near Kingston, one of seven sites in Ontario's prison hub.

Culmer understands the public's outrage over the recent Supreme Court ruling that gave serial killers like Clifford Olsen and Paul Bernardo the right to vote. But he believes it will aid the rehabilitation of the majority of inmates who have committed less grave crimes.

INMATES 'NOT EXILED'

"The fact that Canada has allowed us to vote, allows us to feel that we're still part of this country and not exiled or isolated. If someone feels like they're part of something, they will take more care to be a true member of that society," he said.

Angrily shaking her head, Kingston resident Lisa Vaters called it "crazy" that cons can vote while incarcerated.

"They took peoples' lives, peoples' families and put them through hell. Any murderer gave up all rights once they killed somebody. To give them the right to vote maddens me," she fumed.

Tory Leader Stephen Harper, who unveiled a tough law-and-order platform this week, echoes Vaters' view. If elected PM, he would press for a constitutional amendment to revoke inmate voting.

Kingston's Conservative candidate Blair MacLean said the Supreme Court's 2002 ruling to allow inmate voting has gone against the wishes of most Canadians.

"People think it's unreasonable that hardened criminals who have committed despicable acts have the right to vote," he said.

Gillian Little, campaign manager for Liberal incumbent Peter Milliken, said there are no immediate plans to canvass inside the institutions. Noting that Milliken has made regular visits to the prisons, she said inmates are from other ridings and therefore aren't his electors.

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Ottawa...03/483694.html

Personally, I don't think they should. As part of their punishment of taking away civil rights (freedom, etc) I think the right to vote should be suspended. I don't think it will make them feel like more a part of society. They weren't too concerned with that when they committed their crime. They should feel exiled and isolated. That's the point of prison. They should be glad to get back into society and motivated to not go back to prison.

[My_Immortal6]

I agree with you 100%.

[dantose]

I don't like the idea of taking away anyones right to vote. Seems like a slippery slope to end up on.

[Anakha1]

I don't like the idea of taking away anyones right to vote. Seems like a slippery slope to end up on.

We take away their right to freedom... that seems like a lot more of a serious denial of rights to me. They would, after all, get the right to vote back once they are released.

[Drosselmeier]

What dantose said.

I think that everyone should have a say in how their country is governed.

I really can´t see what good it would do anyone to further marginalize people who are already on the outside, so to speak. I´ve always been for rehabilitation instead of punishment for punishments sake, and so I´m for education for criminals, the right to vote and anything else that might bring these people back into mainstream society.

[Anakha1]

I don't think someone who's abused society in such a way should have a right to have a say in it until they've paid their debt.

Then, I don't think prisons are tough enough on the prisoners as it is.

[{KOW}Spazed]

Anakha you haven't said I word I disagree with yet.


They weren't trying to fit in when they robbed that store, or killed that 11 year old. They are hoping to tug on the heart-strings of people who don't think children should be put in timeout for drawing on the wall, afterall if you do that you may harm his creativity. . . If you commit a crime against society then you forfeit all rights to that society.

[Sergeant]

I think of voting as more of a privilege than a right. If you do something that lands you in prison, I think you surrender certain priveleges that average citizens are afforded, i.e. freedom of movement, voting, owning firearms, etc...

It might be a different story for people who are released and show themselves to be a contributing, law biding member of society, perhaps there can be a system to regrant that privilege if a former inmate can show it's deserved.

[llad12]

I wonder how they would vote on the judges that ruled against them ...

[liquidicem]

I think of voting as more of a privilege than a right.

I couldn't disagree with you more. Everyone should have the right to vote. It should not be something that you need to earn. How are people supposed to make change if you take away there right to vote? Even criminals should have the right to try to change the way things are.