Howard Dean on Crime Former VT Governor; Former Democratic Candidate for President

Death penalty for extreme crimes, but applied fairly

A: I believe the death penalty should be available for extreme and heinous crimes, such as terrorism or the killing of police officers or young children. But it must be carried out with scrupulous fairness.

Even terrorists deserve a fair trial

Death penalty for extreme and heinous crimes

Apply death penalty fairly & strengthen protections

As President, I would:
• Promptly instruct my Attorney General to evaluate the federal death penalty system, take steps to ensure that it is applied fairly and reliably, and reverse Ashcroft’s overzealous policies.
• Push for passage of the federal Innocence Protection Act to strengthen protections against unjust imposition of the death penalty.
• Establish a Presidential Commission to analyze the causes of wrongful convictions around the country and recommend additional reforms.

Opposed capital punishment but shifted beginning in 1994

In fact, however, Dean began to shift as early as 1994. In a news conference in June that year, he said he was still opposed but that he was reconsidering in the case of child murderers. Referring to the slaying of 12 year old Polly Klaas in California the previous year, Dean said he couldn't think of any redeeming social value in keeping her murderer alive.

Supports death penalty for terrorism

Replace overzealous capital crime trials with fair trials

Re-evaluate and reform federal and state death penalty

As President, I would:
• Evaluate the federal death penalty system, take steps to ensure that it is applied fairly and reliably, and reverse Bush’s and Ashcroft’s overzealous policies.
• Push for passage of the federal Innocence Protection Act to strengthen protections against unjust imposition of the death penalty.
• Establish a Presidential Commission on the Administration of Capital Punishment to analyze the causes of wrongful convictions around the country.

Invest in social programs to avoid investing in prisons

My view of social spending changed in that instant. Because studies show that any competent kindergarten teacher can make a pretty good guess about the five kids most likely to end up in prison, I decided to focus Vermont’s efforts and money on new families with very young babies and children.

Today in Vermont, we invest in our children. We visit every child and new mother in the hospital at the time of birth. We offer home visits two weeks after discharge to talk about everything from nutrition to housekeeping to substance abuse to the value of reading. Last year 91% of moms accepted our visit. I believe that one day this program will result in much lower incarceration rates in Vermont.

Supports flexible federal block grants for crime programs.

The Issue

The major crime issues for the 107th Congress will be:
• reauthorization of the juvenile justice program, which established a block grant to states for prevention and delinquency intervention programs;
• reauthorization of programs in the 1994 crime bill, including the state criminal alien assistance program (SCAAP), a reimbursement program to state and local governments for housing illegal alien prisoners;
• the state prison grants program, formally known as the Violent Offender Incarceration/Truth-in-Sentencing (VOI/TIS) grant program, [where states receive funds based on increasing the percentage of prison sentences actually served]; and
• the Byrne block grant program, a flexible block grant that states use for innovative crime and illegal drug fighting programs.

NGA’s Position

• NGA policy calls for reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (JJDPA) and supports the underlying principles of the act. However, NGA wants some flexibility in the core requirements, e.g., allowing some accidental contact between adults and juveniles; expanding the hours before removal from 24 hours to 48 hours; holding certain incorrigible juveniles in detention; and relaxing the disproportionate minority confinement record keeping process. The Governors urge maximum flexibility to implement the spirit and purpose of the act.
• The Governors support authorization of the juvenile accountability incentive block grant (JAIBG) program.
• The Governors also support reauthorization of SCAAP and seek to raise the reimbursement ratio.
• For the Byrne block grant program, NGA seeks to continue the current program with flexibility.
• For the state prison grants program, NGA seeks to abolish all requirements and have more flexibility, with the state designating the offender population to be served.