Why Prisoners Should Have the Right to Vote

Universal suffrage is something that we pride ourselves on here in the United States.  The fact that anyone, regardless of race or gender, has a say in who their rulers are is the basis of any modern society. The fact of the matter, however, is that we don't have the right to vote for all in the US or most of the western world. Prisoners and felons are often overlooked, and even nonviolent offenders are denied a basic civil right. I see this as a serious issue, not only because it indicates that we don't think our democracy is strong enough to handle the opinions of those we deem as "degenerate", but also because it's unequal punishment for the same crimes. What if, for example, someone is caught stealing during the year of a presidential election and sentenced to a year in prison? They will be denied the right to vote, whereas someone who is sentenced to a year in prison the year before will be able to vote once they get out, provided they didn't commit a felony. This is a critical, because it makes our criminal justice system even more unequal.