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Howard Dean on Crime
Former VT Governor; Former Democratic Candidate for President
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Death penalty for extreme crimes, but applied fairly
Q: Do you support the death penalty?A: I believe the death penalty should be available for extreme and heinous crimes, such as terrorism or the killing of police officers or young children.
But it must be carried out with scrupulous fairness.
Source: Associated Press policy Q&A, "Death Penalty"
Jan 25, 2004
Even terrorists deserve a fair trial
"No, we can't beat Bush by being Bush-lite," Kerry said, using a favorite phrase of Dean's. "But we also can't beat George Bush by being light on national security, light on fairness for middle-class Americans, and light on the values that make us
Democrats." Speaking to reporters after his speech, Kerry said of Dean's bin Laden remark: "The question asked [to Dean] was, do you believe Osama bin Laden should be tried in the United States and given the death penalty? The answer to both questions is
a simple yes. Yes and Yes." A Dean aide cited another recent interview in which Dean said: "As a president, I would have to defend the process of the rule of law. But as an American, I want to make sure he gets the death penalty he deserves."
Dean recently issued a statement clarifying his position on bin Laden, after a newspaper account suggested he thought the Al Qaeda leader could be innocent. All he meant, Dean said, was that everyone, including terrorists, deserves a fair trial.
Source: [X-ref Kerry] P. Healy & A. Kornblut, Boston Globe, p. A10
Dec 28, 2003
Death penalty for extreme and heinous crimes
I believe the death penalty should be available for extreme and heinous crimes, such as terrorism or the killing of police officers or young children. But it must be carried out with scrupulous fairness. I applaud former Illinois Governor George Ryan,
who imposed a moratorium rather than administer a system in which 13 innocent men were released from death row. In contrast, George Bush presided over a Texas court system in which dozens of men were put to death without adequate representation.
Source: Campaign website, DeanForAmerica.com
Nov 25, 2003
Apply death penalty fairly & strengthen protections
As President, I would:- Promptly instruct my Attorney General to evaluate the federal death penalty system, take steps to ensure that it is applied fairly and reliably, and reverse Ashcroft's overzealous policies.
- Push for passage of the federal
Innocence Protection Act to strengthen protections against unjust imposition of the death penalty.
- Establish a Presidential Commission to analyze the causes of wrongful convictions around the country and recommend additional reforms.
Source: Campaign website, DeanForAmerica.com
Nov 25, 2003
Supports death penalty for terrorism
Dean's record isn't radically left-leaning. He advocates a balanced federal budget. He is an abortion-rights advocate and opposes drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,
yet he received top ratings from the National Rifle Association and supports the death penalty in some cases, like terrorism or the killing of police officers or young children.
Source: Sarah Schweitzer, Boston Globe
Jun 23, 2003
Replace overzealous capital crime trials with fair trials
Capital punishment is an emotional issue, but supporters and opponents can agree that the death penalty should only be imposed after a fair trial. In recent years more than 100 death row inmates have been exonerated in the United States.
The Bush administration has ignored this crisis but my Administration will address it. George Bush and John Ashcroft have carried out the federal death penalty in a reckless and overzealous manner.
Source: DeanForAmerica.com campaign website, "On the Issues"
Jun 17, 2003
Re-evaluate and reform federal and state death penalty
As President, I would: - Evaluate the federal death penalty system, take steps to ensure that it is applied fairly and reliably, and reverse Bush's and Ashcroft's overzealous policies.
- Push for passage of the federal Innocence Protection Act
to strengthen protections against unjust imposition of the death penalty.
- Establish a Presidential Commission on the Administration of Capital Punishment to analyze the causes of wrongful convictions around the country.
Source: DeanForAmerica.com campaign website, "On the Issues"
Jun 17, 2003
Invest in social programs to avoid investing in prisons
In 1991, I had to cut spending. The Commissioner of Corrections came to me asking for a 14% budget increase. Everyone else was being asked to cut spending, but prisons-the most expensive and least effective social service investment we make-
needed more money.My view of social spending changed in that instant. Because studies show that any competent kindergarten teacher can make a pretty good guess about the five kids most likely to end up in prison, I decided to focus
Vermont's efforts and money on new families with very young babies and children.
Today in Vermont, we invest in our children. We visit every child and new mother in the hospital at the time of birth. We offer home visits two weeks after discharge to
talk about everything from nutrition to housekeeping to substance abuse to the value of reading. Last year 91% of moms accepted our visit. I believe that one day this program will result in much lower incarceration rates in Vermont.
Source: Campaign web site, DeanForAmerica.com, "On the Issues"
Nov 30, 2002
Supports flexible federal block grants for crime programs.
Dean 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