Democratic Party on Crime

	Democratic Party on Crime Party Platform

More police oversight; stop military surplus acquisition

POLICING:

Democrats: Restrict police use of force and increase public oversight. Bill held officers liable in lawsuits, banned no-knock warrants and stopped military surplus acquisitions.

Republicans: Oppose Democratic police oversight bill. Republicans sponsored a bipartisan bill to fund suicide prevention and mental health support services for law enforcement officers.

Source: CampusElect on 2020 Major Party positions , Aug 30, 2020

New protections for domestic violence/sexual assault victims

POLICING:

Democrats: Add protections for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. New protections added to Violence Against Women Act promoted housing stability and economic security for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.

Republicans: Split on Violence Against Women Act.

Source: CampusElect on 2020 Major Party positions , Aug 30, 2020

Too young to drink, too young for life without parole

We must break the school-to-prison pipeline that too often relies on arrests & law enforcement to address misbehavior that ought to be handled and deescalated within the school. A growing number of states have recognized it is unjust--and unjustifiable-- to punish children and teenagers as harshly as adults. We believe that if you aren't old enough to drink, you aren't old enough to be sentenced to life without parole. The federal government will incentivize states to stop incarcerating kids. Source: Democratic Party Platform adopted at 2020 Convention , Jul 27, 2020

Ban chokeholds, new standards for "no-knock warrants"

Democrats will establish strict national standards governing the use of force, including banning the use of chokeholds and carotid holds and permitting deadly force only when necessary and a last resort to prevent an imminent threat to life. Americans must feel safe when they are asleep in their own homes. We will work to establish "no-knock warrants" standards. The risk of mistakes and unintended consequences is too great. Source: Democratic Party Platform adopted at 2020 Convention , Jul 27, 2020

Poverty is not a crime; eliminate cash bail

Poverty is not a crime, and it should not be treated as one. Democrats support eliminating the use of cash bail and believe no one should be imprisoned merely for failing to pay fines or fees, or have their driver's licenses revoked for unpaid tickets or simple violations. Equal justice under the law should not be contingent on the ability to pay for quality legal representation, which is why we support increasing funding for public defenders and for the Legal Services Corporation. Source: Democratic Party Platform adopted at 2020 Convention , Jul 27, 2020

End mass incarceration & reform criminal justice

[At the 2016 convention preparation], we were victorious in including amendments in the platform that made it the policy of the Democratic Party to fight for:

Abolishing the death penalty, ending mass incarceration, and enacting major criminal justice reforms;
Establishing a path toward the legalization of marijuana;
Ending disastrous deportation raids, banning private prisons and detention centers, and passing comprehensive immigration reform.

Source: Where We Go From Here, by B. Sanders, p.16-7, on 2016 DNC , Jul 9, 2016

Death penalty must not be arbitrary

We will continue to fight inequalities in our criminal justice system. We believe that the death penalty must not be arbitrary. DNA testing should be used in all appropriate circumstances, defendants should have effective assistance of counsel, and the administration of justice should be fair and impartial. Source: 2012 Democratic Party Platform , Sep 4, 2012

Crack down on gangs and drugs

We are proud that Democrats led the fight to put more than 100,000 cops on the beat through the COPS program, and we will continue our steadfast support for COPS and community policing. To keep our streets safe for our families, we support tough punishment of violent crime and smart efforts to reintegrate former prisoners into our communities as productive citizens. We will crack down on the gang violence and drug crime that devastate so many communities, and we will increase drug treatment, including mandatory drug courts and mandatory drug testing for parolees and probationers, so fewer crimes are committed in the first place. We support the rights of victims to be respected, to be heard, and to be compensated. We will help break the cycle of domestic violence by punishing offenders and standing with victims. Source: The Democratic Platform for America, p.18 , Jul 10, 2004

Fight crime with prevention, community police

Serious crime is down to its lowest level in a quarter-century. But we have just begun to fight. We will fight to increase the number of community police. We will toughen the laws against serious crime. We will reform a justice system that spills half a million prisoners back onto our streets each year. We will put the rights of victims and families first again. And we will push for more crime prevention, to stop the next generation of crime before it’s too late. Source: 2000 Democratic National Platform as adopted by the DNC , Aug 15, 2000

Tougher punishments, including the death penalty

Bill Clinton and Al Gore took office determined to turn the tide in the battle against crime, drugs, and disorder in our communities. They put in place a tougher more comprehensive strategy than anything tried before, a strategy to fight crime on every single front: more police on the streets to thicken the thin blue line between order and disorder, tougher punishments - including the death penalty - for those that dare to terrorize the innocent, and smarter prevention to stop crime before it even starts.

They stood up to the gun lobby, to pass the Brady Bill and ban deadly assault weapons - and stopped nearly half a million felons, fugitives, and stalkers from buying guns. They fought for and won the biggest anti-drug budgets in history, every single year. They funded new prison cells, and expanded the death penalty for cop killers and terrorists.

Source: 2000 Democratic National Platform as adopted by the DNC , Aug 15, 2000

DNA testing & post-conviction reviews in death penalty cases

We believe that in death penalty cases, DNA testing should be used in all appropriate circumstances, and defendants should have effective assistance of counsel. In all death row cases, we encourage thorough post-conviction reviews. We will put the rights of victims and families first again. And we will push for more crime prevention, to stop the next generation of crime before it’s too late. Source: 2000 Democratic National Platform as adopted by the DNC , Aug 15, 2000

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Page last updated: Feb 24, 2022