Rights Of Felons Research Paper

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A felon is a person who is convicted of a felony, a crime punishable by death or a term in federal or state prison. Felons are convicted of crimes including or in the same category as murder, rape, arson, and burglary. This is the reason why many people believe that felons should not have the right to vote. Felons have shown cases of bad judgement, causing many people to believe that they are incapable of making the right decisions when it comes to things like choosing the president of our nation. What exactly are the rights of felons? It is believed by many that a felon’s debt to society is paid when they’ve completed their time behind bars. It’s not fair that they are seemingly punished twice for the same crime; they shouldn’t have to spend time behind bars and give up their right to vote. The Washington Post stated in their editorial “A Lifetime Sentence for Felons” on July 29, 2012:…show more content…
Maine and Vermont are the only states that allow people in prison to vote. 35 states prohibit people on parole from voting, 31 of the states exclude people on probation from voting as well. Four states deny the right to vote to anyone with a felony conviction, even if they’ve served their sentence. Eight other states disenfranchise specific categories of ex-felons and permit application for restoration of rights after a certain waiting period (five years in Wyoming, and two years in Nebraska). All across the United States an estimate of 5.8 million Americans, or one in forty adults, have currently or permanently lost their right to vote because of a felony

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