Page:Carter and Crime (Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter 1st debate)(Gerald Ford Library)(1554405).pdf/28

 we should reform our judicial system to ensure that swift, firm and predictable punishment follows a criminal conviction.

The federal government can provide a model for the states by revising our system of sentencing, eliminating much of the discretion given to judges and probation officers, insuring greater certainty in sentencing and confinement, and insuring a higher percentage of serious criminals being imprisoned.

We should place reasonable restrictions on the purchase of handguns.

We should upgrade the rehabilitation programs.

There is a need for a coordinated, concerted attack on drug trafficking and organized criminal activity.

federal assistance to the crime prevention programs of local gov't with a minimum of federal regulations.

-We must step-up the attack on unemployment.

CARTER'S PLATFORM

"We need judicial reform, a much better administered court system, merit selection of judges and prosecutors, briefer trial periods, recodification of the criminal codes. We need to allot crime-prevention funds in areas that can actually prevent crime, and not just to build jailhouses, or to buy helicopters, and so forth. We need to have full backing for police officers from all public officials. We need to have better street lighting. We need to have surer -- and perhaps briefer -- sentences for those who commit crimes, and that there's a fairly good certainty that if someone is convicted, they'll be punished. We also need to understand the major causes of increases in the crime rate. I think that the major contributing factor has been high unemployment."

U.S. News and World Report

May 24, 1976