Issue Position: Criminal Justice

Issue Position

Madinah knows that our criminal justice system is not always focused on justice. America has the highest prison population in the world per capita, and Delaware is one of the worst in the country. While we have made some progress in recent years, there is much more that we need to do in order to build a true criminal justice system here in Delaware.

Refocus our legal system around restorative justice
Abolish mandatory minimum sentencing.
Keep the death penalty out of Delaware in all cases.
Legalize marijuana, use funds to give reparations for those who were arrested because of it, and expunge all records of non-violent drug charges.
Ban solitary confinement, and work on releasing low-level non-violent offenders.
Decriminalize poverty
Remove the onerous fines and fees for civil and criminal proceedings.
Abolish the cash bail system.
Increase the burden of proof on law enforcement required to seize property with civil forfeiture.
Make sure that law enforcement is accountable to the people
Create a funded Civilian Police Review Board within each police agency that has subpoena power.
Expand the use of body cameras for police officers at all levels of policing in Delaware, require them to be on at all times, and make the footage publicly accessible.
Demilitarize all police departments in the State.
Abolish use-of-force laws that can lead to violent escalation.
Require law enforcement to publicly account for its forfeiture activity.
Amend the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights so that police officers are not above the law.

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