Provisions such as “three strikes and you’re out” are unlikely to significantly reduce crime. A relatively small proportion of all offenders commit most of the crime. Removing these “career criminals” from society makes sense. But, the “three strikes”
approach is illusory.
Nearly every study of criminal behavior shows that men between the ages of 16 and 35 commit most of the crime. Those leaving prison after the age of 40 have an amazingly low recidivism rate.
Yet, “three strikes” would keep
three time losers in prison into their 60’s, 70’s and beyond. With prison costs running at more than $60,000 per bed (plus $23,500 per inmate per year to incarcerate an individual), there is a significant danger that “three strikes” could lead to the
early release of truly violent criminals serving their first or second sentence, in order to warehouse elderly criminals who pose little or no threat to society.
Source: Libertarian Party Program On Crime
Nov 7, 2000
Omnibus Crime Bill, including death penalty, has failed
The current approach to criminal justice has clearly failed. Years of anti-crime bills and tough talk by politicians have:
reduced our personal security;
created an indirect system of price supports for drug pushers;
set habitually
violent criminals free to harm more innocent victims;
corrupted America’s police departments;
bred disrespect for the law;
trampled the Bill of Rights;
squandered billions of the taxpayers’ dollars; and
left us all more fearful and
less safe than we have ever been before.
The Omnibus Crime Bill would impose the death penalty for 51 new crimes, including, specifically, the murder of federal chicken inspectors. There is also the simply silly, such as a federal program to
establish “drug-free truck stops.” In every election year, Congress rushes to pass a new crime bill. But, until Congress chooses to learn from past mistakes, we are unlikely to see Congressional action leading to safer streets.
Source: Libertarian Party Program On Crime
Nov 7, 2000
Encourage private efforts to fight crime
The appropriate way to suppress crime is through consistent enforcement of laws that protect individual rights. We call for an end to “hate crime” laws that foster resentment by giving some individuals special status under the law.
We applaud the trend toward private protection services and voluntary community crime control groups.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
Allow drugs, alcohol, prostitution, gambling, and suicide
We advocate the repeal of laws prohibiting the production, sale, or use of drugs; the repeal of laws restricting the use of alcohol; the repeal of laws regarding consensual sexual relations, including prostitution, and the cessation of state harassment
of homosexuals; the repeal of laws prohibiting the distribution of sexually explicit material; the repeal of laws regulating gambling; the repeal of anti-racketeering statutes, the repeal of laws interfering with the right to commit suicide.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
Strengthen, not reduce, the rights of the accused
We oppose reduction of constitutional safeguards of the rights of the accused. We oppose pretrial seizure of property for criminal offenses. We oppose police using excessive force on the accused. We support full restitution for loss suffered by persons
injured in the course of criminal proceedings that do not result in their conviction. We call for allowing parties to a court action a reasonable number of peremptory challenges to proposed judges, similar to their right to challenge a proposed juror.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
Hate crimes are used to punish blacks
A grisly murder in Texas has confirmed what Libertarians suspected all along: Hate crime laws are being used to punish African-Americans at a dramatically higher rate than racist white criminals.
“If black Americans thought that hate crime
legislation would protect them against racist whites, they were sadly mistaken,” said Steve Dasbach, Libertarian Party national director. “Instead, hate crime laws are apparently being used as another legal weapon to prosecute African-Americans.”
Source: Libertarian Party Press Releases
Feb 21, 2000
Click here for definitions & background information on Crime.
