Tim Kaine on Crime Democratic Governor (VA)

Supports Project Exile’s longer mandatory sentences

Criminals quickly learned to fear Project Exile’s longer mandatory sentences. The program helped cut our violent crime rate in half. Project Exile won the support of law enforcement nationwide and received bipartisan approval from Presidents Clinton and Bush as well as the National Rifle Association and gun safety groups. Governor Gilmore expanded the program to the entire state in 1998. It has now been copied by cities and states all around the nation. One of Tim Kaine’s proudest possessions is the award given to Richmond for Project Exile by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Moratorium on the death penalty until it is fair

As an example, for many years, rape was a capital crime in Virginia. But when the history of execution of rape was analyzed, it became clear that rape was only a capital crime if you were African-American. That was wrong.

[As another example], most people who are on death row are poor and cannot afford their own attorneys.

Until such a time that the death penalty works fairly and doesn’t single people out by race or because of income or other invidious characteristics, there should be a moratorium on the death penalty in Virginia