Terry Branstad on Crime

	Terry Branstad on Crime

Rehabilitation over punishment to reduce recidivism

We are seeing a decline in our prison population and a reduction in recidivism. We are more focused on providing individuals with skills they need to have rewarding careers upon release, including apprenticeships within the institutions. The Department of Corrections has reduced phone fees as increased communications between inmates and their families can lead to a lower rate of reoffending. And in many cases, tax dollars are better spent on rehabilitation rather than incarceration. Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Iowa legislature , Jan 12, 2016

Investigate wrongful convictions, especially for racial bias

We need to take steps to make sure that when our criminal justice system does impose punishment, that we punish the right person and that race does not play a role.

In the executive branch we recently established a new Wrongful Conviction Division to investigate wrongful convictions of innocent people. These efforts will not only bring justice for those who have been wrongfully incarcerated, but will protect public safety by ensuring the right person is held responsible when a crime is committed.

Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Iowa legislature , Jan 12, 2016

Retroactively allow DNA evidence for all felony convictions

Authorizes an individual who was previously convicted of an aggravated misdemeanor but was not required to submit a DNA sample to ask the court to order that DNA analysis be performed on the evidence used for his or her conviction.
A person against whom a conviction for a felony or aggravated misdemeanor has been entered shall be required to submit a DNA sample for DNA profiling.
Passed Senate 29-20-1, May 1, 2013; Signed by governor May 15, 2013

Source: Iowa legislative voting records for H.F. 527 , May 15, 2013

Supports capital punishment for certain crimes.

Branstad supports the CC survey question on capital punishment

The Christian Coalition voter guide [is] one of the most powerful tools Christians have ever had to impact our society during elections. This simple tool has helped educate tens of millions of citizens across this nation as to where candidates for public office stand on key faith and family issues.

The CC survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: "Capital punishment for certain crimes, such as first degree murder & terrorism"

Source: Christian Coalition Survey 10-CC-q8 on Aug 11, 2010

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*Other governors on Crime:*		*Terry Branstad on other issues:*
*IA Gubernatorial:* Chet Culver Jack Hatch Tom Hoefling *IA Senatorial:* Bruce Braley Doug Butzier Joni Ernst Matthew Whitaker Sam Clovis *Gubernatorial Debates 2017:* NJ: Fulop(D) vs.Lesniak(D) VA: Gillespie(R) vs.Wittman(R) vs.Northam(D) *Gubernatorial Debates 2016:* DE: Bonini(R) vs.Carney(D) IN: Pence(R) vs.Gregg(D) MO: Hanaway(R) vs.Brunner(R) vs.Kinder(R) vs.Greitens(R) MT: Bullock(D) vs.Perea(R) vs.Johnson(R) vs.Gianforte(R) vs.McChesney(D) NC: McCrory(R) vs.Cooper(D) vs.Spaulding(D) ND: Dalrymple(R) vs.Stenehjem(R) vs.Becker(R) vs.Heitkamp(D) vs.Pomeroy(D) NH: Hassan(D) vs.Bradley(R) vs.Sununu(R) vs.Lavoie(R) vs.Connolly(D) vs.Dextraze(I) OR: Brown(D) vs.Bell(D) vs.Niemeyer(R) vs.Pierce(R) UT: Herbert(R) vs.Johnson(R) vs.Cook(D) VT: Shumlin(D) vs.Minter(D) vs.Dunne(D) vs.Scott(R) vs.Lisman(R) vs.~~Smith~~(D) WA: Inslee(D) vs.Bryant(R) WV: Kessler(R) vs.Cole(D)	*Newly-elected governors (first seated in Jan. 2015):* AK-I: Bill Walker AR-R: Asa Hutchinson AZ-R: Doug Ducey IL-R: Bruce Rauner MA-R: Charlie Baker MD-R: Larry Hogan NE-R: Pete Ricketts OR-D: Kate Brown PA-D: Tom Wolf RI-D: Gina Raimondo TX-R: Greg Abbott *Lame ducks 2015-16:* DE-D: Jack Markell (term-limited 2016) KY-D: Steve Beshear (term-limited 2015) LA-R: Bobby Jindal (term-limited 2015) MO-D: Jay Nixon (term-limited 2016) VT-D: Peter Shumlin (retiring 2016) WV-D: Earl Ray Tomblin (term-limited 2016)	Abortion Budget/Economy Civil Rights Corporations Crime Drugs Education Energy/Oil Environment Families/Children Foreign Policy Free Trade Govt. Reform Gun Control Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Infrastructure/Technology Jobs Local Issues Principles/Values Social Security Tax Reform War/Iraq/Mideast Welfare/Poverty

Page last updated: Dec 10, 2016