Opinion

The Case For A Debate Question On Criminal Justice Reform

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Holly Harris Executive Director, U.S. Justice Action Network
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17. According to the Massachusetts Institute for Technology, 17 is the least random number. A theologian once said that 17 has some significance in the book of Genesis, but he is not sure what it is. What we can say for sure about this number is that it is extraordinarily hard to conduct a debate with 17 GOP candidates. So, hats off to FOX for taking on this challenge.

Now that we know that only 10 of these candidates will make the stage in Cleveland, the focus shifts to what they will say. And that is largely dependent on what they are asked.

We know the Iran nuclear deal, Planned Parenthood, and Obamacare will all make the cut. Questions on these issues are expected, and the answers will largely be unsurprising. So where can the true visionary leader set him or herself apart? This is the case for the question on criminal justice reform.

America has 5 percent of the world’s population, but 25 percent of its prisoners. Today, more than 2 million American adults are behind bars, and we are spending a whopping $80 billion a year to keep them there. One in three American adults has a criminal record. And data shows that when these Americans cannot find jobs, they are more likely to return to crime, go back to prison, and add to that taxpayer burden.

So getting back to our GOP candidates, why would they want to tackle these issues? Because the solutions lie in core conservative principles: cutting spending, gutting government bureaucracy, fostering job creation, promoting personal responsibility and strengthening families.

And they get to champion the work of the states. Texas, Georgia, and North Carolina have all taken significant steps to reduce the prison population and astronomical associated costs. The result? Lower crime rates, fewer crime victims, decreased spending and more rehabilitated ex-offenders back at work supporting their families. In fact, 32 states in recent years have cut both their prison populations and their crime rates. One estimate puts the savings to the taxpayers at more than $4 billion.

Yet we still don’t know where all these candidates stand on justice reform. Which is the very reason FOX should ask them. Candidates should be asked, for example, whether they support overhauling mandatory minimum sentencing laws for non-violent offenses, downsizing and making sense of the criminal code, and breaking down barriers for ex-offenders to successfully re-enter society.

Here’s hoping that with all the challenges it faced in wrangling 17 conservative candidates, FOX can make room for one question that can help its viewers determine whether the candidates are truly conservative.

Holly Harris is Executive Director of the U.S. Justice Action Network.

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Holly Harris