State of Iowa Archives: on Crime
Nate Boulton:
Public safety & police can't be done on the cheap
Iowa's public servants, including police officers, firefighters and DHS field staff are the bedrock of building Iowa's safe and secure communities. Their funding has been cut, their rights to better wages and benefits rolled back,
and even their very safety put at risk from reduced staffing levels. If we are going to have safe and secure communities we must once again give our public servants the resources they need to be successful.
Source: 2018 Iowa gubernatorial campaign website BoultonForIowa.com
Jul 17, 2017
Patty Judge:
Reform mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent offenders
Q: Do you support legislation to reform mandatory sentencing laws so low-risk non-violent offenders aren't required to serve long sentences at taxpayer expense?Patty Judge: We need to reform our criminal justice system, including mandatory minimum
sentences for nonviolent offenders. Taxpayers are spending far too much on housing inmates for long periods of time, when they could be better served through treatment and rehabilitation programs.
Source: Vote411.org League of Women Voters on 2016 Iowa Senate Race
Sep 19, 2016
Terry Branstad:
Rehabilitation over punishment to reduce recidivism
We are seeing a decline in our prison population and a reduction in recidivism. We are more focused on providing individuals with skills they need to have rewarding careers upon release, including apprenticeships within the institutions.
The Department of Corrections has reduced phone fees as increased communications between inmates and their families can lead to a lower rate of reoffending. And in many cases, tax dollars are better spent on rehabilitation rather than incarceration.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Iowa legislature
Jan 12, 2016
Terry Branstad:
Investigate wrongful convictions, especially for racial bias
We need to take steps to make sure that when our criminal justice system does impose punishment, that we punish the right person and that race does not play a role.In the executive branch we recently established a new Wrongful Conviction Division
to investigate wrongful convictions of innocent people. These efforts will not only bring justice for those who have been wrongfully incarcerated, but will protect public safety by ensuring the right person is held responsible when a crime is committed.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Iowa legislature
Jan 12, 2016
Chuck Grassley:
Expand mandatory minimum s for firearm & terrorism offenses
[In the bipartisan package of criminal justice reforms], Grassley's influence can be seen in provisions that increase the use of mandatory minimums. [One analyst] summarizes that the new bill would "expand mandatory minimum sentences for certain
offenses, enhancing their use to punish selected firearm crimes and creating new mandatory minimums for offenses related to domestic violence and supporting terrorism." These changes "may address one of the common criticisms of mandatory minimums, which
can result in heavier penalties for drug crimes than far graver offenses, such as violent crime."Current firearm-related provisions dictate draconian penalties for people who never actually wield a gun--[the new package imposes] longer sentences
for "selected firearm crimes." Likewise with "new mandatory minimums" for "supporting terrorism," which can include nonviolent actions such as donating money to the wrong charity or even exercising the right to freedom of speech.
Source: Reason Magazine on 2016 Iowa Senate race
Oct 1, 2015
Doug Butzier:
Stricter punishment doesn't reduce crime
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Stricter punishment reduces crime"?
A: I disagree with this statement.
Source: E-mail interview: 2014 Iowa Senate race with OnTheIssues.org
Sep 17, 2014
Joni Ernst:
Independently investigate sexual crime in military
Joni Ernst, who served more than 20 years in the military, said that she was sexually harassed in the military and, given her experience, is backing the removal of cases of sexual assault from the military chain of command, a position that puts her at
odds with much of the GOP.Ernst tells TIME, "These were some things where I was able to say stop and it simply stopped but there are other circumstances both for women and for men where they don't stop and they may be afraid to report it.
Legislation must ensure that sexual crimes in the military are both independently investigated and prosecuted." [The Pentagon opposes independent investigations, requiring that reports go through the military chain of command].
Sexual assault in the military is reaching epidemic proportions, discouraging many women from enlisting. In 2012, of the 26,000 cases of unwanted sexual contact in the military only 3,000 were reported and only 400 went to trial.
Source: Time magazine on 2014 Iowa Senate debates
Aug 15, 2014
Terry Branstad:
Retroactively allow DNA evidence for all felony convictions
- Authorizes an individual who was previously convicted of an aggravated misdemeanor but was not required to submit a DNA sample to ask the court to order that DNA analysis be performed on the evidence used for his or her conviction.
-
A person against whom a conviction for a felony or aggravated misdemeanor has been entered shall be required to submit a DNA sample for DNA profiling.
- Passed Senate 29-20-1, May 1, 2013; Signed by governor May 15, 2013
Source: Iowa legislative voting records for H.F. 527
May 15, 2013
Rob Hogg:
Retroactively allow DNA evidence for all felony convictions
Rob Hogg voted YEA on passage of H.F. 527- Authorizes an individual who was previously convicted of an aggravated misdemeanor but was not required to submit a DNA sample to ask the court to order that DNA analysis be performed on the evidence used
for his or her conviction.
- A person against whom a conviction for a felony or aggravated misdemeanor has been entered shall be required to submit a DNA sample for DNA profiling.
- Passed Senate 29-20-1, May 1; Signed by governor May 15, 2013
Source: Iowa legislative voting records for H.F. 527
May 1, 2013
Chet Culver:
$205M for new prison & improving old prison infrastructure
Prison and Infrastructure Budget:- Building a new State Penitentiary at Fort Madison: $130.7M
- Construction to comply with Americans With Disabilities Act: $50M
- Expanding the corrections facility for women at Mitchellville: $47.5M
- State
universities of Iowa buildings: $24M
- Iowa veterans home: $20.5M
- New state office building: $20M
- Expanding the corrections facilities at Sioux City, Ottumwa, and Waterloo: $15.4M
- Kitchen remodeling at correctional facilities at Mount Pleasant
and Rockwell City: $12.5M
OnTheIssues notes:This list captures all expenditures over $20M. Most are prison spending; the line-item veto is not about that.
Governor's line-item veto:
I veto section 34, which
imposes restrictions on how pharmaceutical drugs are included on the State's preferred drug list, to allow for new generic drugs.Legislative record:Passed House, 53-43-4; Senate, 30-13-7; signed by Governor May 9.
Source: 2010 Iowa legislature voting records for SF 2432
May 9, 2008
Rob Hogg:
$205M for new prison & improving old prison infrastructure
Prison and Infrastructure Budget:- Building a new State Penitentiary at Fort Madison: $130.7M
- Construction to comply with Americans With Disabilities Act: $50M
- Expanding the corrections facility for women at Mitchellville: $47.5M
- State
universities of Iowa buildings: $24M
- Iowa veterans home: $20.5M
- New state office building: $20M
- Expanding the corrections facilities at Sioux City, Ottumwa, and Waterloo: $15.4M
- Kitchen remodeling at correctional facilities at Mount Pleasant
and Rockwell City: $12.5M
OnTheIssues notes:This list captures all expenditures over $20M. Most are prison spending; the line-item veto is not about that.
Governor's line-item veto:
I veto section 34, which
imposes restrictions on how pharmaceutical drugs are included on the State's preferred drug list, to allow for new generic drugs.Legislative record:Passed House, 53-43-4; Senate, 30-13-7; signed by Governor May 9; Sen. Hogg voted YEA
Source: 2010 Iowa legislature voting records for SF 2432
Apr 24, 2008
Barack Obama:
Lack of enforcement sets tone for more hate crimes
OBAMA: [to Biden]: There is a consequence to the demagoguery [over immigration]--hate crimes against Latinos have gone way up over the last year. We’ve also seen over the last several months this epidemic of nooses being hung all across the country since
the events down in Jena, Louisiana. And it indicates the degree to which a president has to set a tone of bringing all people together as opposed to excluding people. And being willing to talk about racial issues when they arise and having a civil rights
division of the justice department that is aggressive about investigating. So, what can we do to strengthen the enforcement of hate crimes legislation? It is something that I will prioritize as president but I don’t want to have to wait until I am.
BIDEN: We can and we should move [the pending Hate Crimes legislation] forward. The impediment right now is the president. We need someone in the civil rights division who is aggressive in going after these hate crimes. I would not wait.
Source: 2007 Iowa Brown & Black Presidential Forum
Dec 1, 2007
Hillary Clinton:
Address the unacceptable increase in incarceration
Q: Some people say your husband’s crime bill is one of the primary factors behind the rising incarceration rate for blacks and Latinos. It earmarked $8 billion dollars for prisons and continued a trend to harsher sentencing. Do you regret how this has
affected the black community?A: I think that the results--not only at the federal level but at the state level--have been an unacceptable increase in incarceration across the board & now we have to address that. At the time, there were reasons why the
Congress wanted to push through a certain set of penalties and increase prison construction and there was a lot of support for that across a lot of communities. It’s hard to remember now but the crime rate in the early 1990s was very high.
But we’ve got to take stock now of the consequences, so that’s why I want to have a thorough review of all of the penalties, of all the kinds of sentencing, and more importantly start having more diversion and having more second chance programs.
Source: 2007 Iowa Brown & Black Presidential Forum
Dec 1, 2007
Joe Biden:
Bush is impediment to hate crimes legislation
OBAMA: [to Biden]: There is a consequence to the demagoguery [over immigration]--hate crimes against Latinos have gone way up. We’ve also seen this epidemic of nooses being hung all across the country since the events down in Jena. So, what can we do to
strengthen the enforcement of hate crimes legislation? It is something that I will prioritize as president but I don’t want to have to wait until I am.BIDEN: We can and we should move [the pending Hate Crimes legislation] forward.
The impediment right now is the president. We need someone in the civil rights division who is aggressive in going after these hate crimes. I would not wait. Why did we not hear immediately from the justice department in the Jena 6? Why did we not hear
immediately when the rash of burnings took place? Why did we not hear? The reason is that they are not committed. Hate crimes are just that. The vilest and filthiest of crimes. And when you let one celebrated hate crime go, you generate an attitude.
Source: 2007 Iowa Brown & Black Presidential Forum
Dec 1, 2007
Tom Vilsack:
Opposes death penalty in Iowa
Republican lawmakers Wednesday made good on their promise to call for reinstating the death penalty in Iowa, proposing a law that would apply to people convicted of kidnapping, raping and killing children.
The issue has been fueled in part by high-profile slayings of children in Iowa this year. But legislative approval appears unlikely, with the Democratic leader in the evenly split Senate vowing to block debate.
Nonetheless, the issue’s political potential could be significant, with control of the governor’s office and a narrowly divided Legislature on the line in next year’s election.
The issue also spotlights Gov. Tom Vilsack’s opposition to the death penalty at a time when he is weighing a campaign for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.
Source: Political blog “Iowans Against the Death Penalty”
Dec 1, 2005
Art Small:
Allow judges discretion in sentencing
Judges must be given greater latitude or discretion so that they can chose amongst sentencing options that permit the more cost-effective approaches to be used. Legislators must back away from their propensity to attempt to micromanage
what sentences the judges can impose. Sentencing reform is needed and those who support it are not being “soft on crime” but are being realistic about what can work.
Source: Governor’s study on Crime and Punishment in Iowa
Dec 31, 2002
Art Small:
Involve faith-based providers in rehabilitation
Iowa should bring the reinventing government drive, championed by policy thinkers like David Osborne, to state and local probation so that fewer first-time felons become career criminals, waste years behind bars, never parent their children,
and never work for a living. Non-government providers of such services, including faith-based providers, should be permitted to compete with government providers and be funded via contracts and vouchers.
Source: Governor’s study on Crime and Punishment in Iowa
Dec 31, 2002
Jack Hatch:
Programs for at-risk youth and job skills for inmates
Hatch indicated he supports the following principles to address crime:- Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- Require that crimes based on gender, sexual
orientation or disability be prosecuted as hate crimes.
- Ban the use of racial profiling by law enforcement officers.
- Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
Source: 2002 Iowa Gubernatorial National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 2002
Tom Fiegen:
Limit parole but consider penalties other than incarceration
Fiegen indicates support of the following principles regarding jobs- Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- End parole for repeat violent offenders.
-
Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders
- Lower the .10 blood-alcohol-content limit defining drunk driving.
- Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
Source: Iowa Congressional 2002 National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 2002
Al Gore:
Recognizes disparities in sentencing blacks
We need to recognize the inequities in our criminal justice system which have, in part, resulted in the very high incarceration rate for African Americans. We have to recognize that while everyone in our country, from every group, wants to see
vigorous enforcement of the law and reduction in crime, there has to be equal enforcement, including in sentencing. And there are disparities in sentencing that need to be addressed.
Source: Democrat Debate in Des Moines, Iowa
Jan 17, 2000
Al Gore:
Tough “Second-chance schools” for kids
Today, I propose the creation of second-chance schools - where kids headed for trouble, and those caught with guns, can receive the strict discipline and intensive services they need. For all schools, there should be a simple policy toward guns: zero
tolerance, period. All schools should be gun-free, drug-free, and safe and secure. We should increase our commitment to after-school care this year, so children have a place to learn in those afternoon hours when most juvenile crimes occur.
Source: Commencement address: Graceland College, Iowa
May 16, 1999
Page last updated: Feb 13, 2018