A former jailhouse lawyer says he strongly believes giving prisoners the vote, will help them re-integrate once they're released.

The Government is promising those serving sentences of less than three years behind bars will be able to cast a ballot at the upcoming election.

It was made on advice from the Waitangi Tribunal that voting ban was a breach of the Treaty of Waitangi, and the Supreme Court saying it breached the Bill of Rights.

Arthur Taylor took his fight on the issue to the Supreme Court while he was still in jail, and told Mike Hosking it's something that will absolutely help released prisoners fit back into society.

"I've been in prison for many years, 30, 40 years, I know how prisoners think and function. You try and retain every hook they have in the community, you don't try to isolate them even further from the community to which they are going to return to one day."

He says people lose enough rights when they're thrown in jail, and they should keep their right to vote to help them grow. 

"Someone bashes you over the head, he goes to prison. If he's got the right to vote, he starts learning if people respects some of the rights he retains, he might start respecting your rights when he gets outta prison."

 

 

• Government reverses ban on prisoners voting