Project for Opportunity and Safety

The GOP Platform on Criminal Justice

A source has provided TAC with the criminal-justice language from the new GOP platform (which will not become official until next week). It’s not a dramatic departure from the 2012 language—available starting on page 37 here—but a few differences are worth pointing out.

The last platform began with an endorsement of “strong families,” “caring communities,” and “excellent law enforcement.” The new one’s intro focuses on law enforcement and says the Obama administration has

urged leniency for rioters while turning a blind eye to mob attacks on peaceful citizens exercising their political rights. A new Administration must ensure the immediate dismissal and, where appropriate, prosecution of any Department officials who have violated their oath of office.

Both platforms note the need for tough, including mandatory, sentencing in some cases, but the new platform is less strident. This 2012 language is gone:

Liberals do not understand this simple axiom: criminals behind bars cannot harm the general public. To that end, we support mandatory prison sentencing for gang crimes, violent or sexual offenses against children, repeat drug dealers, rape, robbery and murder.

Read full article here.