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I don't know why Republicans wouldn't want prisoners to vote. The don't need to avoid consequences' group and acting overly tough to the point of making life much harder on themselves is their entire base
Because they don't want black people to vote and the majority of people in prison, are black.
I'd even argue we have laws on the books specifically for this intention. To disinfranchise black voters, by putting them in prison.
In other words, you're kinda missing the point of the prison industrial complex.
You can't be Tough On Crime^tm^ if you allow prisoners to vote. What if -gasp!- they vote to abolish all crimes! Our streets would be RAMPANT with undesirables! /s
Also, think about the demographic make-up of America's penal system, and you'll find another reason Republicans don't want prisoners to vote.
Pretty sure that is the actual reason.
Lose civil war. Have to free your black slaves.
Create laws and law enforcement culture that disproportionately impact black folks.
Steadfastly pretend you have done neither of those things.
Lock 'em up!
Sorry, prisoners can't vote. Really, our hands are tied. Someone think of the children.
Closest thing to a confession I'm aware of:
https://www.cnn.com/2016/03/23/politics/john-ehrlichman-richard-nixon-drug-war-blacks-hippie/index.html
https://www.businessinsider.com/nixon-adviser-ehrlichman-anti-left-anti-black-war-on-drugs-2019-7
Here's older evidence that goes back to much earlier.
https://timeline.com/harry-anslinger-racist-war-on-drugs-prison-industrial-complex-fb5cbc281189
When one thinks too hard about it, the whole "we can't trust prisoners to vote, they'll vote to legalize crime!" argument is pretty ridiculous too. Criminals don't just universally love crime, like a guy in for having weed isn't likely to want to legalize murder or something, he doesn't want to be murdered or see people murdered any more than anyone else, and anyone actually crazy enough to want to legalize that is going to be an irrelevant minority of the vote anyway (prisoners in general will be a minority, unless most of your population is locked up, in which case you either actually do have way too many crimes that shouldn't be illegal, or your society is so terminally dysfunctional that it's laws won't much matter anyway).
Oops, it looks like you tried having a deep thought, unfortunately thoughts deeper than surface level are dangerous to Conservative minds as they are prone to drowning, and have been subsequently banned.