Being convicted of a felony in Arkansas can place strict limitations on an individual's rights. In some cases, those rights will never be returned; however, convicted felons will not lose all of their rights. In certain instances, they may even be entitled to gain some, if not all, of them back.
Voting
Convicted felons in Arkansas are not entirely prohibited from voting; however, limitations do apply. Only after a convicted felon has completed probation, parole, or any other supervised form of release may she be allowed to vote.
Hunting
Under Arkansas law, convicted felons are not allowed to possess a firearm, even for hunting purposes--unless the Governor of Arkansas grants them permission to do so. At the same time, however, convicted felons in Arkansas do have the right to obtain a license to hunt and will not be subject to a background check unless the person issuing the license has probable cause to pursue this line of action.
Pardons
Some convicted felons in Arkansas may receive a pardon; however, only the Governor may grant a pardon. If one is granted, the convicted felon will once again have all of his rights restored, including the right to serve on a jury. In the event of a pardon, the convicted felon will also have his record cleared and will not be legally required to disclose any information about his past.
References
Photo Credits
- Arkansas state contour against blurred USA flag image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com