[_indigo1]

I think prisoners should be able to vote.
I find it grotesque taking away the vote as some sort of punishment - what other reason is there to take it away?

I also find it inconsistent and hypocritical.
Part of the social contract in our society is that to participate in society you follow the laws of society.
If you break those laws, then society imposes limits on your freedom both for punishment and rehabilitation.

Ergo, the reason that your rights are allowed to be violated in that way is because you are giving up some of them as part of the social contract to participate in society. It's a quid pro quo.
It's not something that is being 'forced' on you, it is an agreement you defacto make when you choose to participate in society.
(Just leave out the discussion of how one would choose NOT to for now)

To then turn around and also say, oh, we are also forbidding you to participate in society at the most fundamental level - seems wrong.
They want to enforce the person to be a part of society by holding them accountable to it's laws, whilst simultaneously denying them participation in it.

It's akin to taxation without representation.