Sanford Bishop on Crime Democratic Representative (GA-2)

Voted YES on enforcing against anti-gay hate crimes.

Proponent's argument to vote Yes:Rep. JOHN CONYERS (D, MI-14):This bill expands existing Federal hate crimes law to groups who are well-known targets for bias-based violence--they are sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and disability. These crimes of violence are directed not just at those who are directly attacked; they are targeting the entire group with the threat of violence.

Opponent's argument to vote No:Rep. LAMAR SMITH (R, TX-21): Every year thousands of violent crimes are committed out of hate, but just as many violent crimes, if not more, are motivated by something other than hate--greed, jealousy, desperation or revenge, just to name a few. An individual's motivation for committing a violent crime is usually complex and often speculative. Every violent crime is deplorable, regardless of its motivation. That's why all violent crimes should be vigorously prosecuted. Unfortunately, this bill undermines one of the most basic principles of our criminal justice system--equal justice for all. Under this bill, justice will no longer be equal. Justice will now depend on the race, gender, sexual orientation, disability or other protected status of the victim. It will allow different penalties to be imposed for the same crime. This is the real injustice.

Voted YES on funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons.

Voted YES on more prosecution and sentencing for juvenile crime.

Voted YES on maintaining right of habeas corpus in Death Penalty Appeals.

Voted NO on making federal death penalty appeals harder.

Voted NO on replacing death penalty with life imprisonment.

Rated 67% by CURE, indicating pro-rehabilitation crime votes.

CURE (Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants) is a membership organization of families of prisoners, prisoners, former prisoners and other concerned citizens. CURE's two goals are

1. to use prisons only for those who have to be in them; and
2. for those who have to be in them, to provide them all the rehabilitative opportunities they need to turn their lives around.

More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes.

Title: To provide Federal assistance to States and local jurisdictions to prosecute hate crimes.

Summary: Provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or other assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution of any violent crime that is motivated by prejudice based on the race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability of the victim or is a violation of hate crime laws.

1. Award grants to assist State and local law enforcement officials with extraordinary expenses for interstate hate crimes.

2. Award grants to State and local programs designed to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles.

3. Prohibit specified offenses involving actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

4. Increase criminal sentencing for adult recruitment of juveniles to commit hate crimes.

5. Collect and publish data about crimes that manifest evidence of prejudice based on gender.

Increase funding for "COPS ON THE BEAT" program.

COPS Improvements Act of 2007 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to make grants for public safety and community policing programs (COPS ON THE BEAT or COPS program). Revises grant purposes to provide for:

1. the hiring or training of law enforcement officers for intelligence, antiterror, and homeland security duties;
2. the hiring of school resource officers;
3. school-based partnerships between local law enforcement agencies and local school systems to combat crime, gangs, drug activities, and other problems facing elementary and secondary schools;
4. innovative programs to reduce and prevent illegal drug (including methamphetamine) manufacturing, distribution, and use; and
5. enhanced community policing and crime prevention grants that meet emerging law enforcement needs.

Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to:
1. assign community prosecutors to handle cases from specific geographic areas and address counterterrorism problems, specific violent crime problems, and localized violent and other crime problems; and
2. develop new technologies to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in crime prevention.

Sponsored evidence-based & proven prevention for street gangs.

Congressional Summary:Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act or the Youth Promise Act:

• Establish a PROMISE Advisory Panel to assess and develop standards and evidence-based practices to prevent juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity.
• Collect data to assess the needs and existing resources for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention.
• Implement PROMISE plans, developed by local PROMISE Coordinating Councils (PCCs), for coordinating and supporting the delivery of juvenile delinquency and gang prevention and intervention programs in local communities.
• Establishes a National Research Center for Proven Juvenile Justice Practices to provide PCCs and the public with research and other information about evidence-based practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang prevention or intervention.
• Awards grants to institutions of higher education to serve as regional research partners with PCCs that are located in the same geographic region as the educational institution.

Opponent's argument against bill: (Dissenting views on

National standards on excessive use of police force.

Congressional Summary: Congress finds the following:

• This past year alone we have seen 7 different incidents of the unjustified use of lethal and excessive force by police officers against African-Americans
• From 2011 to 2015, 28,500 complaints filed against Chicago Police officers resulted in no discipline.
• These incidents and countless others are not isolated but reflect a pervasive pattern of racial bias in the use of excessive force in communities of color.
• It is the will of the Congress that a select committee be formed to investigate these patterns of excessive use of force in communities of color, and recommend:
• A uniform definition of `excessive use of force` for purposes of criminal prosecutions of law enforcement officers who employ force against individuals suspected of criminal offenses.
• Collection of accurate and reliable data on police shootings and the use of excessive force.
• Implementation of a national database to make available to the public data on complaints filed against law enforcement officers and departments alleging excessive use of force.
• Creation of effective training methods and mental counseling of a law enforcement officer to understand what is and is not a real threat to his or her safety, and to examine his or her reactions to presumed threats for any latent racial bias, animus, or hostility.