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I am the victim of both a violent crime (sexual abuse) and a non-violent crime (identity theft). I voted for M57. And I fully support the legislature's decision to suspend it next year. I disagree with your guest Mr. Doell's statement that crime victims demand long sentences. He certainly doesn't speak for me or for many people I know who have also been victimized by crime. I certainly don't want the two people who committed crime against me to commit crime against anyone else. That's why I support earned time for prisoners. Shouldn't a period of incarceration be about helping people who have committed crime make better decisions in the future? That's what I want. Increasing earned time--increasing better decisions in prison--should lead to better decisions when people return to the community. I want my legislators to invest my tax dollars into programs that prevent crime (mentoring programs, education, health care, addiction treatment) and help people put their lives back together (victim services programs, re-entry programs).

posted 3 years, 7 months ago
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I am a survivor of both a violent crime and identity theft that will never be fully resolved.  I know first-hand what it's like to deal with victimization.  And what I need -- more than keeping the people who victimized me in prison for a long time -- is for the people who victimized me to not do it again, to me or anyone else.  What I need is for the offender to be rehabilitated.  And what I need is for there to be services in the community to give me counseling, support, and information.  I've used these services and I know that they're severely underfunded.  Why do we keep investing in warehousing people instead of giving offenders and victims the tools they need to rebuild their lives?  That's my understanding of justice.

posted 3 years, 12 months ago
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