|
|
Chris Lugo on Crime |
A: I am in strong opposition to the death penalty. I was at the vigil for Sedley Alley, a Tennessean who was recently executed by the state of Tennessee without due process. Despite serious questions as to the reliability of his conviction, the state of Tennessee executed Sedley Alley. Alleys execution came only days after the Chicago Tribune revealed evidence that Texas executed an innocent man, Carlos De Luna, in 1989. Sedley Alley was convicted of the 1985 murder of Suzanne Marie Collins, but recently revealed evidence has led to questions about his guilt. Cases such as this reveal the inherent flaws in capital punishment and it is for this reason that I oppose it.
A: Strongly Oppose. I do not support draconian measures to imprison poor people and minorities for life. I support reform of the prison industrial complex. One out of four African American men will spend at least some or a large part of their life under the jurisdiction of the prison industrial complex, whether in jail, about to go to jail, or on parole, the prison industrial complex has become the new slave master, criminalizing an entire generation of African American men. I support the re-introduction of programs eliminated by previous administrations such as education training, general education equivalency programs and college level educational access for those incarcerated. I support the elimination of convictions for drug use and instead support treatment programs for those in need of addiction treatment and counseling.
