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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

  • Reform probation and parole

  • Use strategies that work



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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