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Introduction
The government institutions are capable of promoting social justice and welfare, as well as the mental health of society. However, certain practices of these institutions can cause more harm than good; they also may contradict basic human rights. In this paper, we will discuss the problem of the disenfranchisement of ex-felons in the U.S., as well as the basic values that contradict this practice.
Analysis
The felony disenfranchisement is practiced in many U.S. states, and the U.S. is one of the most punitive countries in the world when it comes to that (Pilkington, 2012). Even though it does not exist on the federal level, many American states deprive ex-felons of their voting rights. The USA also has the highest incarceration rate in the world (Bisman, 2004, p. 110). It is often associated with the fact that, in most cases, imprisonment results not from the completed trial, but from a plea bargain; it is estimated that many innocents go to prison this way. In 2012, approximately 5.85 million Americans, or ≈2.5% of the population of the voting age, were denied the right to vote due to an existing criminal record (Pilkington, 2012).
The felony disenfranchisement, therefore, strips huge numbers of Americans of one of their basic political rights. In addition, because most of the prisons’ population come from the lower classes of the society, for the representatives of the higher classes much more seldom find themselves in a situation when suspicion might fall on them (as well as in the circumstances that push them towards crime), the felony disenfranchisement disproportionately deprives the poorest and most vulnerable layers of the population of their rights to influence the political life of the country.
I am concerned about this issue because of my feelings about human dignity and social justice. I believe that the felony disenfranchisement not only denies the ex-felons one of their basic civil and political rights, it also contradicts the principle of human dignity (Wronka, 2008, p. 24; The United Nations, 1948), for the persons who have served their punishment are not to be considered guilty anymore, and disrespected and stripped of their rights on that basis. I am also worried because of the apparent social injustice that is associated with the American penal system, one that clearly disfavors people of color (whereas multiculturalism should be one of the basic principles in the contemporary society (Fellin, 2000), and people of color should equally enjoy civil and political rights (Wronka, 2008, p. 70)), as well as the poor.
In addition, the penal system should not only punish but also provide rehabilitation for the convicted, and upon release, they should be able to become full-fledged members of the society. If the government officials believe that ex-felons should be denied the right to vote, it can serve as a symptom of the penal system’s inability to provide proper rehabilitation to the prisoners. This means that a reform of the penal system is also needed.
Upholding the value of human dignity can promote the mental health of the society, for if the authorities support this principle on the official level, they provide an example to be followed. It means that people will develop healthy attitudes towards each other with higher probability, which will add to the mental health of society. On the other hand, upholding the principle of social justice has a positive effect on the society’s welfare, for it allows for a degree of equality that is higher than in those communities where social injustice is practiced and helps protect the human rights.
Conclusion
To sum up, it should be noted that the practice of felony disenfranchisement denies large numbers of Americans their basic political rights, contradicts the principle of human dignity, and adds to social injustice. This practice should be disposed of, for upholding the principles of human dignity and social justice is beneficial for the society’s mental health and welfare.
References
Bisman, C. (2004). Social work values: The moral core of the profession. British Journal of Social Work, 34(1), 109-123. Web.
Fellin, P. (2000). Revisiting multiculturalism in social work. Journal of Social Work Education, 36(2), 261–278.
Pilkington, E. (2012).Felon voting laws to disenfranchise historic number of Americans in 2012. Web.
The United Nations. (1948). The universal declaration of human rights. Web.
Wronka, J. (2008). Human rights and social justice: Social action and service for the helping and health professions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
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