The campaign’s forgotten subjects: prisons
The US prison population is the largest in the world, with nearly two million people. The country has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world – it has five times more prisoners than France in relation to its population – while many NGOs condemn the conditions of detention.
A survey conducted for the FWD organization. us shows that 78% of likely voters support criminal justice reform — two in three Republicans and 87% of Democrats — and policies to reduce the prison population. However, this topic has barely been addressed at the moment during the campaign.
As a reminder, the two candidates – one as senator, the other as president – supported the First Step Act in 2018, a bill aimed at easing the prison system and which had marked a kind of consensus. At that time Mme Harris had declared, according to Washington Postthat much more important reforms were needed, but that this project was “ a first step to correcting the errors » of the system.
Kamala Harris wants an end to mandatory minimum sentences. If her website does not mention any measures regarding prisons, it is emphasized that as a prosecutor, “ it increased the conviction rate of violent offenders, including gang members, armed criminals and domestic violence offenders “. The candidate wants the abolition of mandatory minimum sentences to reduce the incarceration rate, but she also favors the end of solitary confinement and the promotion of rehabilitation services for prisoners.
When she was District Attorney in San Francisco (2004-2010), Mme Harris had developed the “Back on Track” initiative, which aimed to help non-violent drug offenders between the ages of 18 and 30. According to New York Times, phis main promise was that “after a full year of employment, education, community service, regular meetings with a probation judge, and violation-free behavior, the charge would be expunged from the offender’s criminal record.” The vice president has always opposed the death penalty.
Donald Trump wants to strengthen the repressive policy. On his campaign website, where he returns to his plan “to stop crime and restore safety”it is written that he will “strengthen sanctions for attacks against law enforcement” and strengthen the incarceration of offenders. Trump was a strong supporter of the death penalty when he occupied the Oval Office and still defends it. After a long period without executions at the federal level, his administration carried out 13 executions in the last seven months of his tenure, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
Under the Trump administration, Attorney General Jeff Sessions reversed an Obama-era initiative to phase out private prisons. During his presidency, Mr. However, Trump not only demonstrated firmness: In March 2018, he signed an executive order establishing the Federal Interagency Council for Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation Improvement. This council was to identify the means to develop “ a global strategy » consisting of “ mental health, job training, job creation, after-schools, abuse and mentoring “.
