[cam_l]

Voting is a right, not a privilege. The right to self determination tempered by the rights of others.

The right to vote is taken away under the auspices of having broken a social contract by committing a crime. But taking away the right to vote is also tearing up that social contract. Is your response to someone breaking a contract to tear up the contract?

It is not a deterrent (the death penalty it seems, for some, is not even a deterrent). But even if it were, it would be a pretty fucking dumb deterrent, as deterrents go.

And surely someone under the direct control of the state should have more of a say, not less, in who runs that state. Voting in prison should be mandatory.

[tovmeod]

> Voting is a right

In the US

see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_voting

[cam_l]

not sure what you are getting at, being compulsory doesn't make it any less of a right.

anyway, I am Australian.

[gertef]

It's an interesting logical puzzle to see that, in the USA:

* Voting is a right

* not-voting is a right