July 2, 2008 - 10:22am
Merkley, Kroger, roll out new anti-crime package
By Britten Chase
Democratic attorney general nominee John Kroger: photo credit: John Kroger for Attorney General Jeff Mapes over at the Oregonian is reporting Wednesday morning that State House Speaker and U.S Senate candidate Jeff Merkley (D-Portland) and presumptive next Oregon Attorney General John Kroger will be working on a $309 million anti-crime package aimed at filling in local law enforcement funding that Bush administrations cuts left.
Merkley is hoping this is the beginning of responding to voter concerns about cuts in local law enforcement and increase in meth usage. He also hopes it will also give him a tough-on-crime edge in the senate campaign against his rival, Senator Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton).
Read the article here.
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Anti-crime vs. restorative justice
It is unfortunate that the public wants politicians to be "tough on crime," when it has been proven by the Justice Department itself that a pro-active community involvement in the core issues at the root of criminal activity (such as poor parenting, unemployment and addiction) is far more cost-effective than the policing, prosecution, and prisons of our current repressive, vengeance-based system. When restorative justice practices are put in place, not only does recidivism decline, the victims experience empowerment and healing.
The knowledge and expertise of restorative justice is expanding dramatically and is part of a new awareness of our need to build peace at all levels, from the family to schools, prisons, gangs, and international relations. In the past 30 years, over 300 college and university programs have produced graduates in peace studies programs. What is still missing is broad public support for this change in our mode of thinking from damage control and repair to damage prevention.
A U.S. Department of Peace and Nonviolence (supported by The Peace Alliance) would coordinate and fund local programs to prevent criminality in creative, productive ways, returning hundreds of billions of dollars to our suffering economy. Write candidates Jeff Merkley and John Kroger, suggest a Department of Peace.
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