Overview

Criminal disenfranchisement-the practice of restricting electoral rights following criminal conviction-is the only surviving electoral restriction of adult, mentally competent citizens in contemporary democracies. Despite the strong devotion to the principle of universal suffrage, criminal offenders are still routinely deprived of active and passive franchise, while the justifications for such limitations remain elusive and incoherent. In Punishment and Citizenship, Milena Tripkovic develops an empirical and normative account of criminal disenfranchisement. Starting from historical precedents of such restrictions and examining the current policies of a number of European countries, Tripkovic argues that while criminal disenfranchisement is considered a form of punishment, it should instead be viewed as a citizenship sanction imposed when a citizen fails to perform their role as a member of a political community. In order to determine the justifications of disenfranchisement, Tripkovic explores various citizenship ideals and examines whether criminal offenders comply with the expectations that are posed before them. After developing a theoretical framework of citizenship duties, Tripkovic concludes that very few criminal offenders fail to satisfy fundamental citizenship conditions and exhaustive voting restrictions cannot ultimately be justified.A comprehensive assessment of criminal disenfranchisement, Punishment and Citizenship offers concrete policy suggestions to determine the limited circumstances under which electoral rights could justifiably be withheld from criminal offenders.

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9780190848620

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"""The terms and the significance of the debates over disenfranchisement are now much clearer than they were before the publication of this rich and judicious book. Everyone who cares about either the justice or the wisdom of denying the vote to criminal offenders should read Punishment and Citizenship, and all who do will profit from its author's astute combination of comparative social enquiry and normative penal theory."" -- Richard Dagger, University of Richmond, The Review of Politics"

The terms and the significance of the debates over disenfranchisement are now much clearer than they were before the publication of this rich and judicious book. Everyone who cares about either the justice or the wisdom of denying the vote to criminal offenders should read Punishment and Citizenship, and all who do will profit from its author's astute combination of comparative social enquiry and normative penal theory. * Richard Dagger, University of Richmond, The Review of Politics *

Author Information

Milena Tripkovic is a Lecturer in the Birmingham Law School at the University of Birmingham.

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