State of Massachusetts Archives: on Crime
Karyn Polito:
Leading advocate for the passage of "Jessica's Law"
In her time on Beacon Hill, Karyn was a leading advocate for the passage of "Jessica's Law," a bill which would establish tough mandatory minimum sentences for child sex offenders. Her advocacy paid off in 2008, when she worked with her
Democratic colleagues to pass tougher sentencing legislation and require District Attorneys to file more comprehensive reports about child sex offenses in Massachusetts.
Karyn also believes strongly in giving back to the community. Her first major legislative initiative in 2003 was to file legislation allowing for the issuance of special license plates with the Red Sox and Jimmy Fund insignias.
Since that bill was passed, the Red Sox special-issued license plates have raised more than $7,000,000 to date for the Jimmy Fund of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Red Sox Foundation.
Source: 2014 MA Lt. Governor campaign website, KarynPolitoForLG.com
Aug 31, 2014
Martha Coakley:
Lobbied hard to keep Gerald Amirault in prison
Gerald Amirault was convicted of preposterous child sexual abuse charges in the 1980's in the notorious Fells Acre Case. In 2001, the MA Parole Board stated, "It is clearly a matter of public knowledge that, at the minimum, real and substantial doubt
exists concerning petitioner's conviction."But Coakley lobbied hard and persistently to keep Amirault in prison to avoid embarrassing the Middlesex DA's office that had originally prosecuted him. He was finally paroled during the Romney administration
Source: Fathers & Families email on 2010 MA Senate debate
Jan 14, 2010
Martha Coakley:
Opposes death penalty, but federal death penalty ok
Brown supports the death penalty. Coakley opposes it. He pressed her to say whether, if found guilty, the alleged 9/11 masterminds should get the death penalty.
She said yes, because that's the sentence under federal law.
Source: WBUR article on 2010 MA Senate debate
Jan 12, 2010
Jeff Beatty:
Endorsed Jessica's Law to punish sex offenders
Beatty supports John McCain for president, seeing the Republican candidate as a man like himself whose priorities are “to protect families, to protect jobs, and to protect the country.” He endorsed Jessica’s Law, a law adopted by 42 states to punish sex
offenders and limit their ability to re-offend. In support of protecting jobs, he said he opposes benefits to illegal immigrants at the expense of legal immigrants and American citizens and supports reduced taxes on small businesses.
Source: Hamilton-Wenham Chronicle on 2008 MA Senate Debate
Aug 13, 2008
Deval Patrick:
Supports criminal rehabilitation and alternative sentencing
Indicate which principles you support regarding crime. - Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills.
- Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
-
Increase state funding for community centers in areas with at-risk youth.
- Strengthen sex-offender laws.
- Allow police to ticket motorists for not wearing their safety belts, even if they have committed no other traffic violation.
Source: 2006 MA Gubernatorial National Political Awareness Test
Nov 7, 2006
Deval Patrick:
Focus on guns & gang violence, not immigration status
HEALEY: Our administration has already begun the process of training our state police officers in working with the INS so that they can, when they make a stop, determine whether somebody is in the country legally.PATRICK:
Well I think it’s a matter of priorities is what it is. The idea of training the state police so that they can recognize and do their duties, who can argue with that.
But with gun and gang violence as soaring as it is in urban communities all over the Commonwealth it seems to me that there’s a whole lot else that we ought to have the state police and all law enforcement concentrating on.
What I will do as governor is get engaged in the Congress with a balanced and rational approach advocated now on a bipartisan basis by Senator McCain and Senator Kennedy to bring some reason and some real solutions to our immigration issues.
Source: 2006 MA Gubernatorial debate on Fox News with Chris Wallace
Sep 25, 2006
Kerry Healey:
Check immigration status when police stop motorists
Our administration has already begun the process of training our state police officers in working with the INS so that they can, when they make a stop, determine whether somebody is in the country legally and if they are not take
them into custody and turn them over into the proper federal authorities. I would continue that policy as governor. You can’t enforce laws when you like them and not enforce them when you don’t. I think it’s just a matter of right and wrong.
Source: 2006 MA Gubernatorial debate on Fox News with Chris Wallace
Sep 25, 2006
Scott Brown:
Implement the death penalty in Massachusetts
Rep. Brown indicated he supports the following principles to address crime:- Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
- Implement the use of the death penalty in Massachusetts.
- Support
programs to provide prison inmates with vocational & job-related skills.
- Support charging inmates fees for prison services in Massachusetts.
- End parole for repeat violent offenders.
- Strengthen penalties & sentences for drug-related crimes.
Source: 2002 MA Gubernatorial National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 2002
Mitt Romney:
Safe streets will be a campaign theme
“There have been too many left behind,” Romney said after his announcement speech. “Our schools aren’t solid enough; our environment has not been cleaned the way it could be. Our streets are not as safe as they could be.
All these things could be made better in my view with the application of new leadership and sound management principles.”
Source: Stephanie Ebbert, Boston Globe on 2002 MA Gov. race, p. B6
Mar 20, 2002
Mitt Romney:
Will bring new businesses to urban areas
Romney says, “We never think of going to Roxbury or Dorchester. Why do we never think about it? Crime. Let’s also look at the truth. You have businesses leaving our urban areas.” Romney said he would locate a business in Roxbury and Dorchester
if the right opportunities were available. But the GOP candidate and venture capitalist, who has based his campaign on his job creation experience, said government has to provide the public safety and infrastructure in urban areas to attract businesses.
Source: Frank Phillips in Boston Globe on 2006 MA Gov. race
Nov 4, 1994
Page last updated: Oct 13, 2021