Why Ex-Felons Should Vote - Essay Example

The development of the judicial system has allowed for a means for individuals who have wronged society to pay for their crimes, it has also provided a suitable means of rehabilitation for these convicts meaning that punishment is not the only agenda when a person who has committed a crime is sent to prison. Penitentiaries have been established to not only make sure ones pay for their crimes but to help them change their ways and hopefully start afresh once they have served their sentence. This argument is evident from the existence of procedures such as parole where an individual who has not finished their sentence in its entirety is evaluated to determine whether they have learned from their mistakes and if it is established that they have, they are released earlier than the determined date with external supervision.

However, society does not treat ex-felons like the prison system works as it is intended by doing such things as taking away their voting rights. It can be said that by doing this the government is expressing its lack of faith in the correctional system they have set up for if one has truly learned from their mistakes and has become a better person should they be allowed to vote? The fact that they are expected to do fulfill other obligations such as pay their taxes but are not allowed to choose the leaders of their country also demonstrates a level of unfair treatment of these ex-felons (Kevin). There is also the simple argument that just because someone has gone to prison does not mean that they are no longer able to determine who they think should lead their country (Kevin).

Treating ex-felons like they are no longer part of the country which is essentially what is being done when they are denied the right to vote also demoralizes them. An individual with plans to change their ways and live a good life within the boundaries of the law will not appreciate the fact that despite having “paid his debt to society” he is still treated like a criminal. Not being able to vote while one is incarcerated is one thing but still having that right denied after having served their sentence shows a lack of equal treatment for all which is something that every government should strive to achieve.