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The Green Party on Crime and Punishment

The United States has the highest incarceration rate as well as the highest number of documented prisoners in the world. As such, how the United States defines crime and the terms of consequence for violations is an immensely important issue. This topic includes information about candidate positions on: the death penalty, hate crimes, drug policy, and mandatory minimum sentencing.

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The issues

The Green Party strongly opposes a non-parole policy where repeat violent offenders serve their full prison terms, often called a "life means life" policy

The Green Party does not support a non-parole policy for sentencing. “The Greens would like to see a greater focus on mediation, restorative justice, and community-based justice. The Green Party holds that crime prevention and the rehabilitation of offenders is as important in sentencing as punishment for crime”.

The Green Party strongly opposes either outlawing gangs or making membership of gangs an aggravating factor in sentencing

The Greens Party believes that a ban would only drive gangs further into the criminal underworld. “It would also undermine all the good work being done with some gangs to steer them off a criminal path—and, in particular, to stop them trading in the dangerous drug P. Bans don’t get to the root of the problem, which is to provide young people with better alternatives. Key to this is ending poverty and making sure every young person has a decent education and good career prospects”.

The Green Party supports paying compensation to victims of crime

The Greens support the provision of counseling and compensation for victims, preferably paid for by the offender. “We led the call for the Inquiry into Victims’ Rights; we’re now making sure their recommendations get implemented”.

The Green Party strongly opposes lowering the age of criminal prosecution from the current age of 14

The Green Party would maintain the age of criminal prosecution at 14. “The imposition of even greater penalties on those who are the least capable of understanding the importance of those penalties, and least capable of extracting any value from increased punishment is indefensible.”

The Green Party strongly opposes private sector management of prisons

The Greens do not support private sector management of prisons.