Prisoners Serving Sentences of 3 Years or More Denied the Right to Vote
Prisoners serving 3 years or more in jail have now been denied the right to vote, in a bill rushed through Parliament late last week. Justice Advocates say that The Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Prisoner Voting and Other Measures) Bill 2004, is a denial of democratic rights. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, will be greatly affected, given that they are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. Up until now, prisoners serving sentences of five years or more were denied voting rights, but the Howard government has been trying for some time to remove voting rights of all prisoners. There are also problems with the definition of “serving a sentence” which is different in different states in Australia. For example, there’s the possibility that prisoners on parole in the Northern Territory may lose their right to vote as well. Cinnamon Nippard spoke to Brett Collins, from the community-based organisation Justice Action who described the lead-up to this Bill and it’s ramifications.