As an elected official my number one priority is to see our communities and neighborhoods are safe, treat people fairly, and use our fiscal resources wisely. That we can live, work and play without fear of criminal activity. While crime is down overall in District 60, it is an issue that is constant and needs addressing every minute of every day.
I firmly believe there can be a balance of being tough on crime and fair on elements in the system that need reform. I earned a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice and believe focusing on the below issues can help move Tennessee forward. Currently, Tennessee spends $1 billion per year operating the correctional system making it the fifth most expensive program in the budget. We can do better.
The Police
I support fully funding the police. What does this mean? The police are on the front lines fighting crime on our behalf every day and we need to support their efforts. This does not mean police are not to be held accountable for wrong doing. While this is mainly a local issue the state can promote best practices in recruiting, training, and retaining quality officers.
I have been endorsed by the FOP, in which 96% of all MNPD officers are members, and I am committed to seeing they have the resources to they need to keep us all safe.
Marcy's Law
Marsy's Law is named after a 21-year-old college senior who was murdered in 1983. It was written as a result of the experiences her brother and parents faced after her murder when they were often treated as though they had no rights. Currently, under the Tennessee Constitution, those accused and convicted of a crime are granted specific rights and protections, while victims of a crime and their families ARE NOT given these equal rights.
I support efforts to amend the Tennessee State Constitution to guarantee that victims of a crime and their families are notified of hearings, proceedings, releases or escapes, be protected from the accused, be afforded full and timely restitution, be able to confer with the government's attorney and be provided information on all of these rights.
Amending the Constitution would guarantee that, in the criminal and juvenile justice systems, victims' rights and the rights of their families will be protected, becoming equal to the rights of the accused.
Rape Kits
The high-profile murder of Eliza Henderson in Memphis was linked to a 2021 rape sexual assault kit that sat untested in a Jackson, TN crime lab for nearly a year. Currently, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation crime labs take more than 34 weeks, on average, to process sex offense evidence.
It is imperative for the General Assembly to fund positions to hire new forensic scientist, lab technicians, and administrative support to address the sexual assault kit backlog that currently exist in state crime labs.
Private Prisons
CoreCivic, formally known as Corrections Corporation of America, is a for-profit business that operates four state prisons in Tennessee. Under state law only one prison in Tennessee can be operated by a private company. However, three counties entered contracts with CoreCivic, the company built a prison in each of these counties and the counties then sub-contracted with the state, effectively creating a loophole around the state law. Each year the state pays CoreCivic millions of dollars to manage these four prisons.
A recent of audit of CoreCivic found that the for-profit prison was not running at standard staff levels, inmates with mental health conditions we're not getting help, and 200 inmates had died in custody since 2017.
CoreCivic leadership failed to provide adequate oversight which resulted in a failure to operate safe and secure prisons. CoreCivic officials were scolded for not properly importing vital data related to inmate deaths, inmate assaults, correctional officers use of force and facility lockdowns. Additionally, showers were not kept in working order.
CoreCivic continually fights any sort of transparency. You cann0t run a prison properly when shareholders are more important than the prison population being served. It is time we end for-profit operators in our prisons and turn it back over to state control.
Decriminalization
While necessary and impactful, the decades-long "War on Drugs" has resulted in harsh sentencing laws and has contributed to one of the highest rates of mass incarcerations in the world. Someone is arrested for a marijuana offense every 48 seconds. There were 663,367 marijuana arrests in the country in 2018, and 92% of these arrests were for marijuana possession only- not for sale or manufacturing. In the U.S., there are more arrests for marijuana possession each year than for all violent crimes combined.
It is a crime to possess marijuana in Tennessee. For a first conviction, penalties include up to a year in jail, a fine of $250 to $2,500 or both. It is also illegal to "causally exchange" (that is, to give away or sell) up to and including one half of an ounce of marijuana. In addition, a judge may order the defendant to participate (at defendant's expense) in a drug offender school, perform community service hours or both.
I support legislation making it not a criminal offense for a person to intentionally possess marijuana in an amount less than one (1) ounce (28.35 grams). The offender will be responsible for paying a $50 civil fine.
MORE ISSUES
