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Dennis Kucinich on Crime and Punishment
This candidate has withdrawn from the election
"Morally, I simply do not believe that we as human beings have the right to 'play God' and take a human life - especially since our human judgments are fallible and often wrong."
"First of all, we need to seek to end mandatory minimums. We know who's serving those mandatory minimums. Second, we need to have the emphasis with respect to drug offenses on rehabilitation, not incarceration. And third, as president I'll do everything I can to end the federal death penalty which I've already introduced legislation for in the past because we need to have an approach that recognizes the discrimination which exists in our justice system."
Kucinich sponsored the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act: 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.
House Resolution Sponsorship 01-HR1343 on Apr 3, 2001
Co-sponsored the Hate Crimes Against the Homeless Enforcement Act of 2007, to amend the Hate Crime Statistics Act to include crimes against the homeless.
H.R. 2216--110th Congress (2007): Hate Crimes Against the Homeless Statistics Act of 2007
"Instead, federal penalties for all marijuana use, regardless of purpose, include up to a year in prison for the possession of even small amounts. Let us reflect again on how cynical and how dark it is to even contemplate sending someone to prison for a year, when they may not even have that much time left in their life; but since 1996, eight states have enacted laws to allow very ill patients to use medical marijuana in spite of federal law. The present administration has sought to override such state statutes, viewing the use of medicinal marijuana for purposes in the same light as heroin or cocaine."
This is why we need to make sure we focus this country on a cause which takes us away from this punitive approach that we use for people who are trapped in drug use. We need an approach which emphasizes rehabilitation over incarceration.
Congressional Black Caucus Institute debate Sep 9, 2003
When asked if he had tried marijuana, Mr. Kucinich answered "No...but I think it ought to be decriminalized."
NY Times Nov 9, 2003
Criminalization over treatment has led to increased violent crime, misdirected resources of law enforcement and restricted Constitutional liberties. The US must rethink a policy that produces many casualties, but benefits only the prison-industrial complex.
Campaign website, www.kucinich.us, "On The Issues" Aug 1, 2003
"First of all, we need to seek to end mandatory minimums. We know who's serving those mandatory minimums. Second, we need to have the emphasis with respect to drug offenses on rehabilitation, not incarceration. And third, as president I'll do everything I can to end the federal death penalty which I've already introduced legislation for in the past because we need to have an approach that recognizes the discrimination which exists in our justice system."
Co-sponsored H.R. 460 - the Crack-Cocaine Equitable Sentencing Act of 2007. The bill amends the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to eliminate certain mandatory minimum penalties relating to crack cocaine offenses.
"First of all, we need to seek to end mandatory minimums. We know who's serving those mandatory minimums. Second, we need to have the emphasis with respect to drug offenses on rehabilitation, not incarceration. And third, as president I'll do everything I can to end the federal death penalty which I've already introduced legislation for in the past because we need to have an approach that recognizes the discrimination which exists in our justice system."
Voted YES on funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons. Vote on an amendment that would reduce the funding for violent offender imprisonment by and truth-in-sentencing programs by $61 million. The measure would increase funding for Boys and Girls Clubs and drug courts by the same amount.
Amendment sponsored by Scott, D-VA; Bill HR 4690 ; vote number 2000-317 on Jun 22, 2000