State of South Carolina Archives: on Crime

Joe Biden: 1994 Crime bill had community policing and crime went down

We should change the whole prison system from one of punishment to rehabilitation. Nobody should go to jail for drug use. They should be put in rehabilitation. Mandatory rehabilitation. Secondly, anybody in prison, anybody in prison should be learning a trade, should be being taught something. If you can't read, write, add and subtract, you should be able to learn that in prison. And when you get out you should be able to qualify for every federal program across the board.

Mike Bloomberg: Makeup of police department should reflect city population

BLOOMBERG: I made sure that our police department is a majority minority as is the city.

Q: You wanted the police department to reflect the demographics of the city?

BLOOMBERG: That's exactly right, reflect is the exact right word; because you want people to think that the cops understand them, their culture, and whatever. That doesn't mean you're going to find somebody that you have a lot in common with every time you meet a police officer. But if 1/10 of 1% of the citizens of New York come from Egypt, 1/10 of 1% of our police department would come from Egypt. The only place we don't mirror the population exactly is men and women because the city is 50/50 roughly and only about 35% of the police department are female.

Tom Steyer: I've worked to end private prisons in my state

Tom STEYER: I bought stock in a prison company thinking they would do a better job. And I investigated. And I sold it.

BIDEN: But you when you bought it they'd done that.

STEYER: Since then, I have worked to end the use of private prisons in my home state, and we have ended it.

Henry McMaster: Prosecuted sex predators, prostitution, and fraud

• 2005: Declared Criminal Domestic Violence SC's #1 Crime: Worked with victim's advocates to enhance the law and create special courts in 36 counties, producing thousands of convictions.
• 2004: Created Internet Sex Predator (ICAC) Task Force: Wrote the law banning the use of the Internet by child sex predators, trained network of 50 law enforcement agencies which have arrested hundreds of these criminals, with a 100% conviction rate.
• 2003: Investigated and Prosecuted HomeGold case: Wrote the law to investigate securities fraud, then convicted all six architects of the HomeGold and Carolina Investors who defrauded thousands.
• 2010: Challenged Craigslist over prostitution ads, resulting in the removal of those ads nationwide.
• 2010: Expanded State Grand Jury, to assist in convicting gang members, securities fraud, and environmental crimes.

Brad Hutto: Supports capital punishment

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment??

A: Yes.

Nikki Haley: Restore funding for Law Enforcement DNA lab

Alvin Greene: Supports capital punishment

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support programs that provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related training and job-placement assistance when released?

A: Yes.

James Emerson Smith: Supports death penalty; ending parole; and more prisons

Smith indicates support of the following principles concerning crime.
• Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
• Support the death penalty in South Carolina.
• Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
• End parole for repeat violent offenders.
• Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
• Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
• Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
• Increase funding for state and local emergency agencies to prevent and to respond to terrorist attacks.
• Allow police to ticket motorists for not wearing their safety belts, even if they have committed no other traffic violation.

Mark Sanford: End parole for repeat violent offenders

Indicate which principles you support to address crime.
• Support contracting with private sector firms to build and/or manage state prisons.
• Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills.
• End parole for repeat violent offenders.
• Require all felons serve at least 85 percent of their sentences.
• Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
• Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.