Nigerian prisoners are just the unlucky and unfortunate masses that ended up being in prison due to the small crime committed when compared to the lucky politicians.
Goverment rules and authority binds on every citizens within the country including the prisoners. Hence i see no reasons why they need not being recognised and considered in a country's voting system.
Our goverment is responsible for the provision of social amenities like pipe borne water, electricity, the inmates' house building and renovation and payment of the prison warder's salary. All these are enough not to disenfranchise the prisoners because they need to participate in things that will affect them.

Roland17: And you feel inhibiting prisoners from making a choice on who represents them would serve as a good deterant, if the prisons are supposed to rehabilitate like we believe, shouldn't prisoners be encouraged to carry out a simple civic duty of voting, so that when they get back into the society they do not develop political Apathy? and can easily blend into the society without feeling left out?

what happens to those who are serving jail terms despite being innocent or in the case of Nigeria, thousands awaiting trial after 7-10 years?

No. They are supposed to lose privileges and freedom in hopes of deterring them and others from committed crime (again). What does incarcerating a prisoner and giving them the same rights as non-criminals do? We might as well give them soft mattresses, bigger rooms, better food, etc., so that they can adapt to life outside again. They don't deserve any rights while imprisoned. When they serve, and succeed during a probationary period, then they can earn it back.

There are cases of people who serve lengthy terms and are innocent. I'm sure it's common in Nigeria, but it's a rarity over here. If that's your worry, then the topic shouldn't be about allowing prisoners to vote, but allowing convicted suspects fair trials, starting from police who may be falsifying reports to persecutors and defense lawyers who are using botched evidence or none at all, and to judges who throw people in jail for the sake of it.

ogugua88:

It depends on the state. There are states where you can vote as soon as you're released. There are some where you can vote after serving parole and probation. As for those where you can't vote after serving, it depends on the severity of the crime, how many times the person has committed the crime, etc.

What has ones criminal record got to do with his/her civic duties..The origin of this laws should be questioned..I don't have a right to commit a crime but I have a right to vote, where is the correlation of this madness.

ogugua88:

No. They are supposed to lose privileges and freedom in hopes of deterring them and others from committed crime (again). What does incarcerating a prisoner and giving them the same rights as non-criminals do? We might as well give them soft mattresses, bigger rooms, better food, etc., so that they can adapt to life outside again. They don't deserve any rights while imprisoned. When they serve, and succeed during a probationary period, then they can earn it back.

There are cases of people who serve lengthy terms and are innocent. I'm sure it's common in Nigeria, but it's a rarity over here. If that's your worry, then the topic shouldn't be about allowing prisoners to vote, but allowing convicted suspects fair trials, starting from police who may be falsifying reports to persecutors and defense lawyers who are using botched evidence or none at all, and to judges who throw people in jail for the sake of it.

So because they are prisoners they have become animals without rights? are u kidding me? so are the prisons meant to be hell or are they meant to keep prisoners locked up forever, since they would never cope when they come out, or the prisons meant to reform people.

Take for instance issues regarding Prison reform, who is a better situation to talk about the prisons than the inmates themselves?

ebamma 3: Should mad men be allowed to use the internet?

ur question and the topic are two parallel lines.
i.e ur question doesn't correlate with the topic!

We are mixing things up here. The law is “a convict/ex-convict cannot vote and be voted for. So it‘s not just the case of prisoners. But my take on this is that they should not vote and be voted for whether in prison or out of prison.

GooseBaba: What has ones criminal record got to do with his/her civic duties..The origin of this laws should be questioned..I don't have a right to commit a crime but I have a right to vote, where is the correlation of this madness.

When you commit a crime, you lose your rights. It's not rocket science and there's nothing mad about it. I gave the analogy of a child misbehaving and losing privileges. That's exactly what it is. One can't be a criminal and have the same privileges as me. If I'm good, I can vote. If I'm bad, I can still vote? No. If that's the case, then the incentive to do good has been diminished.

Out there in our society there are millions of politicians who are known criminals, known to have embezzled tax payers moneys, Hoodlums still roam the streets, we know most of these people, but come election time, they are allowed to vote and be voted for, prisoners voting barely bites crumbs out of the national cake of any nation.

It would instill in them a sense of belonging, performing a simple civic duty on core issue that affect them would help reform them better.

Roland17:

So because they are prisoners they have become animals without rights? are u kidding me? so are the prisons meant to be hell or are they meant to keep prisoners locked up forever, since they would never cope when they come out, or the prisons meant to reform people.

Take for instance issues regarding Prison reform, who is a better situation to talk about the prisons than the inmates themselves?

On point, imagine a homesexual/lesbian being jailed for his/her practices, he/she she is not allowed to express his/her opinion against the rules. How rediculous

ogugua88:

When you commit a crime, you lose your rights. It's not rocket science and there's nothing mad about it. I gave the analogy of a child misbehaving and losing privileges. That's exactly what it is. One can't be a criminal and have the same privileges as me. If I'm good, I can vote. If I'm bad, I can still vote? No. If that's the case, then the incentive to do good has been diminished.

DOES THAT MEAN ALL THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD ARE TAKEN AWAY COS HE MISBEHAVED, DOES THAT MEAN THE CHILD IS STARVED TO DEATH FOR MISBEHAVING, DOES THAT MEAN THE CHILD'S OPINION WOULD NEVER MATTER IN THE POLITICS OF THE FAMILY FOREVER COS HE MISBEHAVED?

Roland17: DOES THAT MEAN ALL THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD ARE TAKEN AWAY COS HE MISBEHAVED, DOES THAT MEAN THE CHILD IS STARVED TO DEATH FOR MISBEHAVING, DOES THAT MEAN THE CHILD'S OPINION WOULD NEVER MATTER IN THE POLITICS OF THE FAMILY FOREVER COS HE MISBEHAVED?

Are you equating not voting with starving to death?

The child serves their punishment before he or she can play again. That's the same way I said prisoners should serve their terms and probation periods before being allowed to vote again.

I would have prefered a situation where they can vote when they are out of prison but the thing here is this; this franchise of a thing is a two way thing that goes together. Vote and be voted for. So if we advocate for them to vote, can we advocate for them to be voted for? I guess not. Why? Because they are not role models.

ogugua88:

When you commit a crime, you lose your rights. It's not rocket science and there's nothing mad about it. I gave the analogy of a child misbehaving and losing privileges. That's exactly what it is. One can't be a criminal and have the same privileges as me. If I'm good, I can vote. If I'm bad, I can still vote? No. If that's the case, then the incentive to do good has been diminished.

They already lost their freedom, caged like an animal, told when to eat, sleep or play. These are grown folks being treated like small pikin, it's not like am I want them to be given prison pass to attend their children birthday and what not. We are talking about civic duties And you feel thier right to civic duties should be fair game.. Am sorry I don't see how this correlates at all..

ogugua88:

Are you equating not voting with starving to death?

The child serves their punishment before he or she can play again. That's same way I said prisoners should serve their terms and probation periods before being allowed to vote again.

During that serving time, why should the prisoner be deprived of his/her right of expessing his views? Which law on this planet is perfect?

ogugua88:

Are you equating not voting with starving to death?

The child serves their punishment before he or she can play again. That's same way I said prisoners should serve their terms and probation periods before being allowed to vote again.

aren't they both a form of deprivation?

Thus punishments depends on how long? and not what it achieves or destroys in the offender?

You guys can't be serious lol. Are you truly sympathizing for criminals? There are bigger fish to fry than advocating for people who made conscious decisions to violate the law to have the same basic freedoms as people who do well. Like Roland17 said, looting politicians are in office and have every right to vote. Tackle that problem rather than worrying about the voting rights of thieves and molesters.

It‘s a good thing we are debating on this issue because I don‘t think it has been debated in this country before whether in the senate or in the market place. Now we have to sit together as a nation and analyze it. Another thing is that we copied most of our constitution from America so we are practically living by their rules.

ogugua88: You guys can't be serious lol. Are you truly sympathizing for criminals? There are bigger fish to fry than advocating for people who made conscious decisions to violate the law to have the same basic freedoms as people who do well. Like Roland17 said, looting politicians are in office and have every right to vote. Tackle that problem rather than worrying about the voting rights of thieves and molesters.

First of all NOT all prisoners consciously committed crimes they are being jailed for, some were unconsciously involved, some indirectly, some were victims of Miscarriage of justice, last week on BET a case of an African American who was wrongfully accused of raping a white girl aired, the truth only came out decades after, but he's dead.

these issues are big fishes, We can't keep running away from these issues, they are issues that affect us, when they come out and can not be involved in the society anymore, then what use was the prison term?

Roland17:

aren't they both a form of deprivation?

Thus punishments depends on how long? and not what it achieves or destroys in the offender?

This law in general was set up to purnish the American minorities. A white dude is caught with 3 grams of coke he gets probation, a black dude get caught with the same thing he gets time behind bars.. Hence he loses his right to vote...

Roland17: First of all NOT all prisoners consciously committed crimes they are being jailed for, some were unconsciously involved, some indirectly, some were victims of Miscarriage of justice, last week on BET a case of an African American who was wrongfully accused of raping a white girl aired, the truth only came out decades after, but he's dead.

these issues are big fishes, We can't keep running away from these issues, they are issues that affect us, when they come out and can not be involved in the society anymore, then what use was the prison term?

How do voting rights for prisoners solve this?

Roland17: Reading without dropping a comment is disallowed

what about comments without reading? i guess that's worse, it should attract a stiffer penalty. maybe a ban

Roland17: Reading without dropping a comment is disallowed

that actually hurt right? its like spying, well my favourite part.

ogugua88: You guys can't be serious lol. Are you truly sympathizing for criminals? There are bigger fish to fry than advocating for people who made conscious decisions to violate the law to have the same basic freedoms as people who do well. Like Roland17 said, looting politicians are in office and have every right to vote. Tackle that problem rather than worrying about the voting rights of thieves and molesters.

nwiye m e dezigo exam gi?

If they should allow all those elewon at kiri kiri or ikoyi prison to vote omo na prison break o !! Dem don cause

ogugua88:

How do voting rights for prisoners solve this?

The problem is u are viewing this issue as tangible, voting is a fundamental human right, issues that affect them are involved in the elections, their Health, Education (some of them still pursue education while in there), Housing etal..these are critical issues that determines the sustainability of human life.

engrtee: So rev king should vote?

that guy is no longer in prison, he has since escaped.
besides if obasanjo and bode george can vote, I see no reason why rev king should not vote.

Hell Yes! - what happened to giving everyone a second chance?? And who's a criminal and who isn't?? Most "criminals" are just unfortunate people who got caught in the act - and once you have done the time, you should be given a chance to amend whatever you did wrong in the past... Everyone makes mistakes in life - and people shouldn't be ostracised just because of a mistake(s) they made in the past...

That's why I'll never agree with the American-style of democracy, it has borderline racist under-tone - yet some pseudo-intelligent clowns are using the same policy they have never bordered to read the background story about, to buttress their asinine argument..

ebamma 3: Should mad men be allowed to use the internet?

how about those on nairaland

ebamma 3: Should mad men be allowed to use the internet?

how about those on nairaland

To consciously apply such law to the Nigerian system is an act of unnecessary gra gra and follow follow...

@sparko1
@toluene12

lucenzo: nwiye m e dezigo exam gi?

I na su Igbo? YAY! I finished and scored perfects on a few of them

hypeman: Hell Yes! - what happened to giving everyone a second chance?? And who's a criminal and who isn't?? Most "criminals" are just unfortunate people who got caught in the act - and once you have done the time, you should be given a chance to amend whatever you did wrong in the past... Everyone makes mistakes in life - and people shouldn't be ostracised just because of a mistake(s) they made in the past...

That's why I'll never agree with the American-style of democracy, it has borderline racist under-tone - yet some pseudo-intelligent clowns are using the same policy they have never bordered to read the background story about, to buttress their asinine argument..

When they get out, they can vote.