Pros And Cons Of Readjusted Disenfranchisement

I believe that over time felon disenfranchisement has become unconstitutional and detrimental to American democratic beliefs. When the idea of disenfranchisement was implemented in ancient Greece and Rome, it served as a deterrent to criminal activity. However, now it is used as another form of punishment even after felons have completed their sentences. Disenfranchisement is also problematic because of the increasing racial disparities in prisons, which eliminates a large portion of African Americans from voting. Not many studies have been conducted on public attitudes towards felons rights and voting, however one was discussed in a paper written by David Wilson, a professor at the University of Delaware. I think it would be more just, if …show more content…
The biggest reason being that disenfranchisement laws are left to the states to decide. It is unlikely that all 50 states would re-enfranchise felons or adjust their laws. Additionally, politicians may be wary to change their states laws and stance on this issue in fear of tipping the political scale (Burkhardt). Readjusted disenfranchisement laws may also be difficult to implement if they are based on crime because it could make sentencing harder or unfair. It would also be difficult to fix the issue of racial disparity that causes more minorities to lose their voices in elections. One race does not commit a significant amount of more crime than another, so in order to fix racial disparity there would need to be a change among officers, where it all …show more content…
Disenfranchisement laws have proved to be problematic in America for a variety of reasons. One of the most striking issues, in my opinion, is the impact felon disenfranchisement has on minorities due to the racial disparity of prisons. Despite the laws being upheld at the federal level, it seems that it they are outdated and detrimental to American values. The laws also negatively affect political participation. “Although many Americans do not exercise their right to vote, the right itself is fundamental to citizenship” (Uggen and Manza, 195). Even if the right to vote was extended to felons and they did not exercise that right, it would at the very least give them a sense of citizenship and a voice. Rather, disenfranchisement acts as a continued punishment for felons who may have even completed their sentences and treats them like second-class citizens. The amount of disenfranchised felons is projected to increase, which has been a clear trend since the 1970s. It would be beneficial to try and adjust disenfranchisement laws now before it becomes even more