Prison Reform Trust: End to ‘archaic’ punishment of civic death

Juliet Lyon, Prison Reform Trust’s director, comments on the decision to allow prisoners the right to vote:

“A historic decision to enfranchise serving prisoners would mark the end of the archaic punishment of civic death dating back to the Forfeiture Act of 1870.

“In a modern prison system you would expect prisoners to have rights and responsibilities and politicians to take an active interest in their constituency prisons.

“People are sent to prison to lose their liberty not their identity.”