Bobby Jindal on Crime Republican Governor; previously Representative (LA-1)

Increase penalties on child predators and sex offenders

Next session, we will also work to take the next step in our involuntary civil commitment pilot program legislation passed last session. We will also work to impose additional penalties when sex offenders fail to submit to electronic monitoring as required by law.

We will improve the safety of our child-care facilities by increasing penalties when a sex offender is on the premises and penalize childcare providers who knowingly employ sex offenders. We will also improve licensing procedures to include the ability to revoke or suspend licenses for certain alleged crimes, including the facility allowing a sexual offender to be present on the premises.

We will protect our ballparks, cub scouts and other kid groups and teams by prohibiting a sex offender from volunteering to coach or participate in any way when activities include children.

Capital punishment for rape as well as murder

What was very disturbing to me --I disagreed with the court’s ruling, both because they said that the punishment was not proportional to the crime --it certainly seems to me that, if the state’s going to put to death any criminals, other than those that commit murder, certainly should be putting to death those that molest, that rape, that attack our children. Certainly the juries should have that option.

But what was really disturbing to me was part of the rationale of the ruling. The court said that it sensed emerging national consensus. It sounded to many that it looked like the court was taking opinion polls rather than reading the Constitution and interpreting the law.

Voted YES on expanding services for offendors' re-entry into society.

Proponents support voting YES because:

Rep. CONYERS: Some 650,000 men and women are leaving the Federal and State prisons each year. While the vast majority of the prisoners are committed to abiding by the law and becoming productive members of society, they often encounter the same pressures & temptations that they faced before prison. More than two-thirds of them are arrested for new crimes within 3 years of their release. This exacts a terrible cost in financial terms as well as in human terms. The Second Chance Act will help provide these men and women with the training, counseling and other support needed to help them obtain & hold steady jobs; to kick their drug and alcohol habits; rebuild their families; and deal with the many other challenges that they face in their efforts to successfully rejoin society.

Opponents recommend voting NO because:

Rep. GOHMERT: The programs that are sought to be renewed are ones we don't have information on how successful they were. I can tell you from my days as a judge, there was some anecdotal evidence that it looked like faith-based programs did a better job of dramatically reducing recidivism. In addition:

• There are some provisions that allow for too much administration. That is going to build a bigger bureaucracy.
• Dismissing all charges if someone completes drug rehab under another provision I think is outrageous. You are going to remove the hammer that would allow you to keep people in line?
• We also have a provision to teach inmates how they can go about getting the most welfare before they leave prison and go out on their own.