James Webb in Brennan Center for Justice essays
On Crime:
Holistic plan to bring hardened criminals to justice
Despite burgeoning prisoner populations, our communities are not safer and we are still not bringing to justice many of the most hardened criminals who perpetuate violence and criminality as a way of life. It is in the interest of every American that
we thoroughly reexamine our entire criminal justice system. I am convinced that the most appropriate way to conduct this examination is through a Presidential commission, tasked to bring forth specific findings and recommendations for Congress to enact.
We need a holistic plan to identify and solve the entire range of problems plaguing our system, from point of apprehension to sentencing, prison administration, and reentry programs for those who wish to become full, participating members of our society.
We are putting too many of the wrong people in prison. This does not bring safety to our communities. While heavily focused on nonviolent offenders, law enforcement has been distracted from pursuing more serious and violent crimes.
Source: Brennan Center for Justice essays, p.118-9
Apr 28, 2015
On Crime:
Independent commission: restructure criminal justice system
Only an independent, outside commission focusing on the larger national problem of mass incarceration can bring us complete findings necessary to restructure the criminal justice system. The commission would review all areas of federal and state criminal
justice practices and make specific findings, including an examination of:- The reasons for the increase in the US incarceration rate compared to historical standards.
- Incarceration and other policies in similar democratic, Western countries.
- Costs of current incarceration policies.
- The impact of gang activities.
- Drug policy and its impact on incarceration, crime, and sentencing.
- Policies as they relate to the mentally ill.
- The historical role
of the military in crime prevention and border security.
It is time to modify our criminal justice policies according to what is broken and what works. The creation of a National Criminal Justice Commission is still the best way to do this.
Source: Brennan Center for Justice essays, p.120
Apr 28, 2015
On Drugs:
Drug courts to deal with drugs as a sickness
About half of all the drug arrests in our country were for marijuana offenses.We need smarter ways of dealing with people at apprehension. We need to consider the types of courts drug offenders go into--drug courts, as opposed to regular courts--
how long you sentence them, and how you get them ready to return home. It is a sickness and we have got to treat it that way. We must treat the people who need to be treated and incarcerate the people who need to be incarcerated.
Source: Brennan Center for Justice essays, p.118-9
Apr 28, 2015
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