It should, for example, be imposed by a judge following trial, and it should be proportionate to the offense. Yet none of the states require that disenfranchisement be imposed by a judge as part of a criminal sentence. And disenfranchisement laws operate without regard to the seriousness of the crime or the severity of the sentence. Denying the vote to ex-offenders accomplishes little of value. Indeed, it may do more harm than good.
Disenfranchisement contradicts the promise of rehabilitation.
To many people the practice may seem an inevitable concomitant of incarceration or a legitimate additional punishment for a crime. It is neither. A sentence of imprisonment does not strip a person of all his or her rights. Common sense indicates that the unfettered exercise in prison of the rights of freedom of movement and association would jeopardize the ability of prison authorities to maintain control. There is no plausible argument, however, that permitting inmates to vote, e.g., by absentee ballot, would interfere with prison operations or administration.