Should prisoners be given the right to vote in UK Essay

Should prisoners be given the right to vote in UK - Essay Example Having the status prisoner on an individual’s bio does not help their chances of integrating into the community and tends to lock them out of most of the privileges that are enjoyed by the rest of the society. At the moment this also includes voting opportunities that are available to others as that privilege is revoked by the government (Lynch, 2007). However, the question remains of whether this is an ethically acceptable arrangement or is change needed in this department in the long run to improve the democratic movement that is supported by a large majority of people. In order to study this question and come up with an acceptable response it is important for one to look at all the perspectives that views that are involved when it comes to the issue of allowing prisoners to vote. Other aspects of the subject that should be studied include the various parties that are involved in the making of this decision as well as those that are affected by it. These include the legislators and (depending on various factors, such as whether a referendum is held on the matter) at times the public opinion on the side of those involved in forming of the concerned laws and the prisoners as well as society on the side of those who will be affected by the decision made (Harel, 2008). This is essential as making a right decision depends on knowing all the factors involved as well as the potential impact that certain decisions will have in the long run. It should be noted that the voting process is part of the democratic setup that was developed to ensure the presence of fairness and equality to all citizens (Ross, 2011). As afore mentioned, taking a closer look at the main groups that are involved and affected by the final decision on whether prisoners should be allowed to vote will allow one to come up with a more overall view of the situation and various circumstances involved. They include: These are the main group of people that are