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Hillary Clinton on Crime and Punishment
This candidate has withdrawn from the election
Clinton sponsored the Innocence Protection Act, which called for the requirement of DNA testing for in all federal executions.
House Resolution Sponsorship 01-HR912 on Mar 7, 2001
"she strongly lobbied liberal members of Congress to support her husband's crime bill, which expanded the federal death penalty, and supported his welfare-reform plan, which prompted one of her close friends, the former Kennedy aide Peter Edelman, to resign from the administration."
"I am proud to support the bipartisan legislation which we have passed to strengthen our tools against crimes motivated by hate on the basis of a victim's race, ethnic background, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability and gender identity."
More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes. Clinton 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
"There is a great disparity in arrests and convictions and sentencing," she said before condemning as "indefensible" the federal mandatory sentencing guidelines, passed in the late 1980s, that give harsher terms for offenses involving crack than for the same amount of powder cocaine.
Washington Times August 10, 2007
We need diversion, like drug courts. Non-violent offenders should not be serving hard time in our prisons. They need to be diverted from our prison system. We need to make sure that we do deal with the distinction between crack and powder cocaine. And ultimately we need an attorney general and a system of justice that truly does treat people equally, and that has not happened under this administration.
2007 Democratic Primary Debate at Howard University Jun 28, 2007
I have spoken out on my belief that we should have drug courts that would serve as alternatives to the traditional criminal justice system for low-level offenders. If the person comes before the court, agrees to stay clean, is subjected to drug tests once a week, they are diverted from the criminal justice system. We need more treatment. It is unfair to urge people to get rid of their addiction and not have the treatment facilities when people finally makes up their minds to get treatment.
Senate debate in Manhattan Oct 8, 2000
"We need more police, we need more and tougher prison sentences for repeat offenders. The three strikes and you're out for violent offenders has to be part of the plan. We need more prisons to keep violent offenders for as long as it takes to keep them off the streets."
Unique Voice, p.189-90: Remarks at Annual Women in Policing Aug 10, 1994
There are mandatory sentences for certain violent crimes that may be appropriate, but has been too widely used and it is using now a discriminatory impact.
"We need diversion, like drug courts. Non-violent offenders should not be serving hard time in our prisons. They need to be diverted from our prison system. We need to make sure that we do deal with the distinction between crack and powder cocaine. And ultimately we need an attorney general and a system of justice that truly does treat people equally, and that has not happened under this administration."
Hillary will invest $200 million in Reentry Partnership Grants to reward successful community-based approaches to reintegrating ex-offenders into the economy and society.