John Edwards 2004 On The Issues
Edwards' Agenda and Record
on Fighting Crime
While the crime rate dropped dramatically during the 1990s, Senator
John Edwards is concerned that under President Bush, this progress has
stopped.
Edwards will:
Support Cops On
The Beat
Support Cops on the Beat
Edwards will continue support for community policing and cops on the
beat. While President Bush has failed to provide the money he pledged to
help first responders after September 11th, Senator Edwards has proposed
$50 billion in aid to states, including $10 billion specifically for
homeland security.
Bulletproof Vests for Police Officers
The risk of fatality for officers who wear body armor is 14 times less
than for officers who do not. Edwards supports efforts to provide more
bulletproof vests to local law enforcement.
Cooperate with Local Police
Edwards will ensure that federal law enforcement officers work together
with state and local police to prevent future attacks on our nation.
Reform Probation And
Parole
Edwards believes we must transform our broken probation and parole
systems. He has offered a three-part plan to do so.
Hold Parole Violators Accountable
Nearly half the people in the probation system have violated the terms
of probation, but only one-fifth get sent back to jail for doing it.
Edwards believes that we need real punishments for people who violate
probation and parole, combining strict supervision with swift, certain
and graduated punishment.
More Support For Overburdened Corrections Officers
Today, some probation officers have as many as 200 people to look after.
Edwards believes we need to increase staff, cut caseloads and give these
officers the resources to get out of the office and onto the streets,
more actively supervising probationers and parolees.
Stop the Cycle of Repeat Offenses
To make our communities safer, we need to take steps to stop those who
leave prison from going back to a life of crime. Edwards will back
community oversight and supports for former offenders, so that people
leaving prison don’t go back to lives of crime.
Use Strategies That
Work
Increase DNA Testing to Catch the Guilty
DNA tests have already helped solve over a thousand crimes, but this
technology is usually used only in ahandful of big cases, usually only
in bigger cities.
Edwards supports bringing DNA technology to smaller police departments,
to lower-level crimes, and to cold cases.
He also believes we should clear the backlog of untested rape kits in
unsolved cases, and make DNA testing more available to death penalty
defendants to reduce the risk of wrongful convictions.
He will accompany increased DNA testing with strong protections to
safeguard our civil liberties.
Increase the Number of Neighborhood Watch Groups
Edwards has introduced legislation to encourage the creation of
thousands of groups by 2007. Under the Edwards approach, Neighborhood
Watches would continue to be directed and driven at the local level; the
federal funding would just help groups to start up, and participate in
strengthening homeland security against terrorist attack.
Increase Resources to Find Missing Young People and Adults
Edwards believes law enforcement officials must have additional
resources to locate missing young people and adults.
He introduced and won passage of legislation, known as Kristen’s Law,
authorizing grants to public agencies and nonprofit private
organizations that help find missing adults.
Expand Drug Treatment for At- Risk Youth
Edwards will expand drug treatment for at-risk youth. When drug-addicted
criminals do not receive treatment, they are more likely to commit more
crimes to keep paying for their habits.
Improve Drug Sentencing
Today, a drug user with the same amount of cocaine is punished very
differently depending on the type of cocaine - for crack cocaine the
penalty is 100 times greater than for powder cocaine.
This disparity is not justified. Edwards will address this disparity
while at the same time imposing harsher sentences on drug crimes
involving weapons, violence, or other aggravating circumstances.
Fight Methamphetamine Production
Methamphetamine is destroying many communities, especially in rural
America.
Edwards has supported measures to stiffen the penalties for
manufacturing methamphetamine and to give law enforcement more help in
fighting “meth” manufacturing and trafficking.
Source: John Edwards for President 2004 Web Site
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