From my long experience with offenders in prison, I came to realise that the problem of criminality is far more complex than the general public perceive. I am not condoning crime, naturally, but I feel IF we are to address the detachment of these people (proportionally men under thirty) from society, which caused their criminal actions, we need to be clear about what we're doing in response to their offending. Are we merely punishing, exacting vengeance, deliberately causing suffering, counselling, rehabilitating, denying liberty, etc etc. I'm not opting personally for any one of these suggestions, but we do need to be clear about our objectives. If ALL privileges are to be removed for the duration of the custodial sentence, then franchise should be denied, as should presumably television, exercise, sport, publications, human contact and so on. Who is to select what a prisoner should undergo as part of the sentence? And what are the reasons for these deprivations? What in short is the AIM of prison and the penal system? Believe me, people offend for a great many reasons, some of which are pitiable and unavoidable, given their circumstances. Also, a large percentage of inmates have mental health issues. I have seen prisoners in Parkhurst, for example, in a dire state of mental illness. I'd be just as furious as anyone else to find my house had been burgled, or terrified to be mugged in the street. But the whole issue is not simple or easily addressed. I actually think that voting is quite low down on the list of what is needed to be considered!