Prison Reform Leaders Ask Harris to Drop 'Tough on Crime' Rhetoric

Improve the News Foundation -
0:00
/1861

Facts

  • Criminal justice reform advocates and leaders are urging US Vice President Kamala Harris, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, to change her campaign rhetoric on crime and focus her platform on addressing mass incarceration, according to a letter reported on by The Hill.[1]
  • Harris has been touting her record as an attorney general and prosecutor, framing November's election as a contest between a tough-on-crime prosecutor and a convicted felon — Republican nominee, former Pres. Donald Trump.[2]
  • More than 160 leaders directly impacted by incarceration — including two executives of prominent criminal justice reform advocacy organizations — say that such language is harmful to Harris' campaign and marginalizes those impacted by the criminal justice system.[1]
  • The letter asks Harris to embrace her previous message that focused on reforming the criminal justice system, noting that she was the first candidate to attend the group's presidential town hall hosted by formerly incarcerated leaders in 2019.[3]
  • The letter stresses that Black Americans are incarcerated at a disproportionately high rate, with one in three Black men having a felony conviction. It goes on to suggest alternative ways in which Harris can attack Trump's legal woes.[3]
  • Polling suggests that Harris' prosecutorial record hindered her 2020 bid for the Democratic nomination, especially among progressive voters. However, changing dynamics could potentially make a 'tough on crime' message more appealing to voters.[4]

Sources: [1]The Hill, [2]Guardian (a), [3]Commit2Reform and [4]Guardian (b).

Narratives

  • Democratic narrative, as provided by The Marshall Project. Harris has a complicated record related to her time as a prosecutor and her stance on various issues related to criminal justice. She must clarify her position and commit to addressing the criminal justice system. Harris has said some positive things that reflect a more progressive outlook, however, she's hardly a stalwart on the issue. Hopefully, amid her current momentum, she will moderate her 'tough on crime' main message to appeal to a wider swath of her party and the country.
  • Republican narrative, as provided by Federalist. Harris is a walking contradiction trying to appease the far-left while portraying herself as a 'tough on crime' leader. But her track record shows that she aligns with failed liberal policies that open the prisons and create havoc in cities. She raised bail for rioters and has supported far-left initiatives that set dangerous felons free. America needs a president who's actually tough on crime.

Predictions