National Public Radio: on Crime
Cedric Richmond:
Reach out to conservatives & formerly incarcerated people
Part my office is to engage with constituencies all across the country. The two new areas that I want to do is, one, I want to reach out to conservatives, and the other, I want to reach out to formerly incarcerated people and make sure that they know
that they have a person in the White House that is there to handle their constituency and the issues that come up. And so for conservatives, that's going to be important, too.
Every person that's a part of the Cabinet will work on President Biden and Senator Harris' agenda. And so once you decide to go into the administration, you leave your own personal
politics behind and you adopt those of the president, and you adopt his priorities. And so his climate plan is aggressive and bold. His poverty reduction plan is progressive and bold.
Source: NPR's All Things Considered on OPE Confirmation Hearings
Dec 11, 2020
Cory Booker:
Legalize marijuana; restore ex-con voting rights
Criminal justice reform is one of Booker's key policy areas in his presidential policy platform. He was a key force behind the FIRST STEP Act, which President Trump signed into law. Booker will soon introduce what he calls the Next Step Act, a package
of further criminal justice changes. It includes provisions that would legalize marijuana at the federal level, eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine, and give felons [who have served their time] the right to vote.
Source: NPR Morning Edition, "Election 2020: Opening Arguments"
Mar 7, 2019
Cory Booker:
Ended "three strike penalty"; more reform is needed
He was a key force behind the FIRST STEP Act. Among other things, that law ends the "three strike penalty," helps judges avoid mandatory minimum sentences, and gives prisoners more access to rehabilitation programs. Booker will introduce the
Next Step Act, a package of further criminal justice changes. It includes provisions that would legalize marijuana at the federal level, eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine, and give [ex-]felons the right to vote.
Source: NPR Morning Edition: Election 2020 Special Series
Mar 7, 2019
Joe Gale:
Appalling to criticize insurrection but not other protests
[On Jan. 6 riot] "I have consistently been a voice for law and order and spoken out against protests that devolve into riots, violence, and destruction," said Gale. "For doing so, I've been smeared, censured, and physically targeted. Now politicians and
the media are suddenly outraged, after having spent the last year justifying, excusing, and often ignoring the unrest and lawlessness that destroyed nearly every major city in the nation. This double standard is purposeful and appalling."
Source: WHYY NPR 90.9 FM on 2022 Pennsylvania Gubernatorial race
Jan 7, 2021
Kamala Harris:
Not tough nor soft crime: must be smart on crime
She tells NPR that it's a "false choice" to suggest that someone is either tough on crime or soft on crime. "If you want to deal with an epidemic--crime or health--the smartest and most effective and cheapest way to deal with it is prevention first,"
she says. "If you're dealing with it in the emergency room or the prison system, it is too late and it is too expensive. We have to be smart on crime."
Source: NPR Morning Edition, "Election 2020: Opening Arguments"
Mar 14, 2019
Pete Buttigieg:
Supports constitutional ban on death penalty
The death penalty has been one of many examples where racial discrimination has played out. It's time to join the ranks of nations that have put the ugliness of capital punishment behind them. And while I'm pleased to see states taking this step, and
I believe the federal government can and should take this step, too, at the end of the day it is the kind of thing that deserves to be in our Constitution.
Source: NPR Morning Edition, "Election 2020: Opening Arguments"
Jul 11, 2019
Ralph Nader:
Some executed by death penalty were innocent
Q: What about the death penalty?A: There were 87 capital crime convictions overturned by [research on their cases conducted by] journalism students. Undoubtedly, some of those executed were innocent.
Source: National Press Club interview (aired on NPR)
Jul 23, 2000
Kamala Harris:
No on capital punishment, but justice for murderers
If she were president, no one would be executed in the U.S. for any crime--not even treason.
She adds, though, "I absolutely and strongly believe there should be serious and swift consequence when one human being kills another human being. ... I am unequivocal in that belief. So let's be very clear about that. There should be justice."
Source: NPR Morning Edition: Election 2020 Special Series
Mar 14, 2019
Page last updated: Oct 26, 2024