Warren calls for the repeal of the 1994 crime bill, decriminalizing school absenteeism

2020 elections

Elizabeth Warren contrasts her rivals Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the new criminal justice reform proposal.

Elizabeth Warren is subtly distinguished rivals Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on Tuesday in presenting his criminal justice reform plan.

In a long detailed plan published on Medium, Warren called for the repeal of the 1994 crime bill – which Biden helped write as a senator – and for the federal government to push states and localities to decriminalize absenteeism at school, as opposed to harsher sentences. Harris has been a champion during her career in California.

History continues below

Warren's broader argument echoes that of many of his rivals who are calling for a reduction in incarceration rates and argue that the fight against crime is best fought by investing in education, housing and housing. other programs to combat poverty. Warren's campaign announced the plan just before a "Roundtable on Criminal Justice Reform" Tuesday morning in Minneapolis.

Although Warren does not name his rivals, the duel positions signal potential clashes with the former vice president and the California senator, as the race intensifies over the next six months leading up to the caucuses from Iowa and that the three candidates are fighting over the support of people of color. .

"This punitive" crime suppression "approach was wrong, it was a mistake and it must be repealed," wrote Warren about the '94 crime bill. She added that some articles should be kept, such as the provisions on domestic violence, but that "the essence of the law should disappear". Warren also supports parts of the original bill that have since expired and would not be part of the repeal, such as the Violence Against Women Act and the Arms Ban. # 39; assault.

The bill is a controversial part of Biden's long career in the Senate and a potential political responsibility, as he fights to become the flag-bearer of the Democratic Party at a time when many party voters have rejected the bill. approach to criminal justice that Biden had once advocated. .

Signed by then President Bill Clinton, the bill was part of a series of criminal justice reforms adopted in the 1980s and 1990s that dramatically increased the number of people incarcerated and affected disproportionately people of color. The legislation encouraged states to impose longer prison sentences, abolish Pell subsidies for people in prison, and enforce the law of the three rounds. Currently, the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with more than 2 million.

Recognizing the changes in the party, Biden's team highlighted the Obama administration's efforts in criminal justice and presented a plan to reduce levels of incarceration. He has also reversed his positions on some punitive measures such as the death penalty, which he now opposes.

Biden's movements have not tempered the criticism of his rivals who are also trying to overthrow his perch at the top of the polls. Senators Cory Booker (DN.J.) and Harris have already attacked Biden more explicitly because of the legacy of the crime bill, with Booker Biden calling him an architect of "great incarceration." But despite the bill's impact on communities of color, Biden maintains the highest levels of support among black voters before next year's primaries.

Biden's approach is similar, albeit somewhat less organized, to the way Bill and Hillary Clinton faced the legacy of the crime bill at the 2016 primary. Hillary has made justice reform criminal her first major political speech as a candidate. A few months later, Bill told the NAACP: "I have signed a bill that has compounded the problem … and I want to admit it."

Beyond the 1994 crime bill, Warren also asks to break what she calls the "school to prison" pipeline, stating that police officers apply school discipline, tolerance policies. zero and inadequate social services. "At least fourteen million students attend school with a police officer, but without a single counselor, social worker, psychologist or nurse," she wrote.

As part of this effort, Warren writes that the federal government should put pressure on states and localities to decriminalize school absenteeism and "increase the number of mental health workers in the communities." schools and provide schools with the necessary resources to train teachers and administrators in positive behavioral practices, disciplinary practices and implicit bias to limit suspensions, expulsions and arrests for minor offenses. "

The laws on school absenteeism apply when children are usually absent from school. Laws vary widely across the United States and penalties include fines or even jail time for parents or children.

The issue emerged during the 2020 elementary school, in part because of Harris' longstanding attention in California and its support for increasing potential sentences. "I believe that a child without education equates to a crime. So, I decided that I would start suing parents for absenteeism, "she said in 2010 when she ran for the Attorney General. The clip later has become viral left and has been criticized by influential activists and writers such as Ta-Nehisi Coates.

In May, the presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke called to decriminalize absenteeism, arguing that "[s]States such as Texas have taken the first step in repealing laws that prosecute children for absenteeism, but fines imposed on parents still weigh heavily in a system that disproportionately targets black and brown students. "

A Huffington Post investigation earlier this year also revealed that relatives in several counties had been arrested, charged and sometimes jailed as a result of Harris-backed reforms. In April, Harris told Pod Save America that the prison sentences were "unintended consequences" and said she would not support a similar reform as president.

"My regret is that I have now heard stories where, in some jurisdictions, prosecutors have criminalized parents," she told the hosts. "And I regret that it happened and that the idea that everything I did could have led to that because it was certainly not the intention."