5 reasons why felons forfeit their right to vote - Essay Example

Surprisingly, studies indicate that life after prison for felons is never the same again. For instance, for a long time studies showed that up to 1.7 million former ex-felons who have successfully completed their prison terms are still not eligible to vote, despite the fact that they are not under any criminal justice supervision anymore (Reiman, 3). In order to understand the whole concept in greater details, let us explore the preceding conditions under which one may lose voting rights as provided for by the law.

“The law provides that one will forfeit his/her right as a registered voter or to be registered as a voter if they have been charged with felony and put to confinement in a federal correctional institutional facility, or subjected to the custody of the chief prison officer of any other country or state of any other for imprisonment in a correctional institution or a community habitation in such a state or country” (The Ultimate Freedom, 1). This was the initial provision of the law upon which judgments were made.

However, there is another provision that was adopted to provide for conditions under which ex-felons may be allowed to vote. Latest developments have seen the whole topic take almost a u-turn with suggestions and consequent amendment to make felons on probation viable to vote. Most compelling evidence indicate that prisoners may now vote in the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Kenya, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Romania, Sweden, and Zimbabwe (Fellner and Mauer, 6).

Nevertheless, it should be appreciated that different countries, in their own right as sovereign states, have different provisions of administering criminal justice ethics. It has now been adopted that with one exception, that felons on probation can vote and run for pubic office. The 2002 Act does so by limiting one’s disenfranchisement only to the