Case Study

Let’s follow the growing number of our states and cities and private companies who have decided to “Ban the Box” on job applications so that former prisoners who have done their time and are now trying to get straight with society have a decent shot in a job interview. And if folks have served their time, and they’ve reentered society, they should be able to vote.

—President Barack Obama in remarks to the NAACP

Take a position. Do you agree or disagree that certain rights should be restored to people who have fulfilled their sentences?

First, title your post either “Certain rights should be restored” or “Certain rights should not be restored.”

Then, using the information gained in this module and the resources noted above, make your case. Consider some of the following questions:

What are some of the “invisible punishments” placed on people convicted of crimes?
Should any of these punishments be removed? All of them?
Can these punishments be removed? If so, what would it take to remove them? If not, why?
What impact do these punishments have on the offenders?
If you have a philosophy of punishment, how do invisible punishments fit into your philosophy?
If you do not have a philosophy of punishment, how might invisible punishments relate to some of the philosophies or goals of punishment discussed in this course (deterrence, rehabilitation, retribution, incapacitation, and restitution)?
Be sure to build your case with factual resources.

In your response to your peers, consider how well they justified their positions, making use of available resources. Consider the following questions in your response posts:

Did they support their positions convincingly with appropriate resources?
Which of their points make the most sense to you, even if you made a case for an opposing viewpoint?
References
Remarks by the President at the NAACP Conference. (2015, July 14). Retrieved from https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/07/14/remarks-president-naacp-conference