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Electing the Electorate: The Problem of Prisoner Disenfranchisement
Author(s) -
Easton Susan
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the modern law review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.37
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 1468-2230
pISSN - 0026-7961
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-2230.2006.00591.x
Subject(s) - punishment (psychology) , human rights , political science , law , prisoner's dilemma , criminology , law and economics , economics , sociology , psychology , social psychology , game theory , mathematical economics
The issue of prisoner disenfranchisement is examined in the light of the recent decision of the European Court of Human Rights in Hirst v UK . It is argued that the arguments in favour of denying prisoners the right to vote lack plausibility. Prisoner disenfranchisement cannot be coherently defended on the justifications of punishment or on the grounds of risk. On the contrary, matters of principle and policy considerations favour the re‐enfranchisement of convicted prisoners.