Governor Bush and the Florida Legislature have worked together to adopt public-safety reforms such as 10-20-Life, the Three-Strike Violent Felony Offender Act, and the Habitual Juvenile Offender Accountability Act.
These initiatives and related laws passed in 1995-1997 have successfully reversed the lenient criminal-justice policies of the early 1990s. Thanks to the dedicated work of professional local and state law enforcement,
the Governor’s leadership and the Legislature’s criminal-justice policies, Florida’s 2000, “Index Crime” rate was the lowest in 28 years. The 2000 index-crime rate, based on murder, forcible sex, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary,
larceny and motor vehicle theft, dropped 18% since January 1, 1999. This two-year decline in index-crime rates is the lowest ever recorded by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Source: Governor’s web site, www.MyFlorida.com, “Initiatives”
Nov 7, 2001
10-20-Life: Increase mandatory minimum sentences
Effective July 1, 1999, Florida Statutes shall be established to:
Increase to 10 years the minimum prison term for certain felonies or attempted felonies when the offender possesses a firearm or destructive device during commission of the offense
or flight therefrom
Mandate a 20 year minimum term of imprisonment when the firearm is discharged
Mandate a minimum term of imprisonment of 25 years to life in prison if someone is injured or killed
Mandate a minimum term of 3 years for
possession of a firearm by a felon
Mandate that the minimum term of imprisonment be served consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed
Increase to 15 years the minimum prison term when the offender possesses a
semiautomatic firearm and its high-capacity detachable box magazine or a machine gun.
Mandates that a person shall serve a 3-year prison sentence for aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer or person age 65 or older.
Source: Governor’s web site, www.MyFlorida.com, “Initiatives”
Nov 7, 2001
Fewer death-row appeals; faster executions
Jeb Bush decided to run for governor in 1994, vanquishing competition in the Republican primary and leading in polls during most of the fall. He called for fewer appeals for death row inmates and speedier executions, said Florida should withdraw from Aid
to Families with Dependent Children and replace it with limited temporary assistance, and called for school choice and demanded voter approval of all state and local tax increases.
Source: National Journal, the Almanac of American Politics
Jan 28, 2000
Longer prison terms for gun-toting criminals
In his first 100 days, Bush’s legislative agenda met with stunning success. He canceled a plan for a high speed Miami-Orlando train, but passed a school voucher plan, got longer prison terms for gun-toting criminals, and instituted a $1 billion tax break
Source: National Journal, the Almanac of American Politics
Jan 28, 2000
Build more prisons; private contracts OK
Supports the following principles concerning prisons:
Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
Support contracting with private sector firms to build and/or manage state prisons.
Bush says, “While I favor contracting with private firms to build state prisons, I do not support privatization efforts that would cause job losses among or reduce the pay or benefits of Florida’s current corrections officers.”
Source: Vote-smart 1998 Florida NPAT
Jul 2, 1998
Alternative sentencing & rehabiliation acceptable
Supports the following principles concerning crimimals:
Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
Increase state funds for
programs which rehabilitate and educate inmates during and after their prison sentences.
Bush says, “I support and have proposed additional funding to expand drug treatment programs for prisoners.”
Source: Vote-smart 1998 Florida NPAT
Jul 2, 1998
Supports death penalty
Supports the following principles concerning violent crime:
End parole for repeat violent felons.
Support the use of the death penalty.
Prosecute juveniles who commit murder or other serious violent crimes as adults.
Maintain electrocution as Florida’s method of execution.
Source: Vote-smart 1998 Florida NPAT
Jul 2, 1998
Stricter penalties for drug, sex, & gun offenses
Supports the following principles concerning crime penalties:
Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
Strengthen penalties and sentences for sex offenders.
Bush says, “I support stricter mandatory sentences for criminals who commit crimes with guns.”
Source: Vote-smart 1998 Florida NPAT
Jul 2, 1998
Heinous crimes no longer news: exposure lowers norms
Because of increased exposure to the strange or abnormal, we consciously lower the parameters of what we tolerate as acceptable behavior. Consider the extensive coverage of the 1929 Valentine’s Day Massacre, involving the killing of 7 gangsters during
Prohibition. In contrast, in a recent drug execution in which 3 people were slain, the story appeared only in the second section of the newspaper, at the bottom of the page. The contrast demonstrates not our approval of violent crime, but rather our
trivialization of such crime, our growing accustomed to violent acts or other kinds of behavior that skirt the bounds of decency.
Crime is no longer outrageous to us. We do not put the routine stories of heinous behavior on the front page anymore
because they are no longer abnormal. Only the truly outrageous makes the front page. These journalistic decisions should be taken as a warning. Do we now treat our societal dysfunctions as if they were only part of a TV show, surrealistic & out of reach?
Supports flexible federal block grants for crime programs.
Bush adopted the National Governors Association position paper:
The Issue
The major crime issues for the 107th Congress will be:
reauthorization of the juvenile justice program, which established a block grant to states for prevention and delinquency intervention programs;
reauthorization of programs in the 1994 crime bill, including the state criminal alien assistance program (SCAAP), a reimbursement program to state and local governments for housing illegal alien prisoners;
the state prison grants program, formally known as the Violent Offender Incarceration/Truth-in-Sentencing (VOI/TIS) grant program, [where states receive funds based on increasing the percentage of prison sentences actually served]; and
the Byrne block grant program, a flexible block grant that states use for innovative crime and illegal drug fighting programs.
NGA’s Position
NGA policy calls for reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (JJDPA)
and supports the underlying principles of the act. However, NGA wants some flexibility in the core requirements, e.g., allowing some accidental contact between adults and juveniles; expanding the hours before removal from 24 hours to 48 hours; holding certain incorrigible juveniles in detention; and relaxing the disproportionate minority confinement record keeping process. The Governors urge maximum flexibility to implement the spirit and purpose of the act.
The Governors support authorization of the juvenile accountability incentive block grant (JAIBG) program.
The Governors also support reauthorization of SCAAP and seek to raise the reimbursement ratio.
For the Byrne block grant program, NGA seeks to continue the current program with flexibility.
For the state prison grants program, NGA seeks to abolish all requirements and have more flexibility, with the state designating the offender population to be served.
Source: National Governors Association "Issues / Positions" 01-NGA10 on Sep 14, 2001
