State Senator Danny Martiny (R-Meatirie) says Republican gubernatorial candidate Eddie Rispone’s attacks on the criminal justice reform package passed in 2017 are off-base, and not true.
Rispone’s campaign ads claim “John Bel Edwards’’” criminal justice reform put dangerous criminals back on the street. Martiny, a Republican, says no criminal convicted of a violent crime got out early.
“Nobody wants to think that we are letting people out early,” said Martiny. “The criminal justice reinvestment program was to deal with non-violent crime, and it did not affect any violent criminals or any sex offenders.”
Martiny says thanks to the reform, Louisiana is no longer the top incarcerator in the country. Martiny says leading the nation in prison population did not make the state any safer.
“We were using up so much of our money incarcerating people, we couldn’t dedicate the money to rehabilitative programs in the jail,” said Martiny.
The Department of Corrections reported $17.8 million in savings in the last fiscal year due to the reforms.
Martiny says Rispone’s attacks disrespect the bipartisan support for the reforms which were rolled out over ten different bills. He says seven of those bills were authored by Republicans.
“I think it is just sad that people try to capitalize on stuff like that,” said Martiny. “In my mind, for him to say that is very disingenuous.”
Similar reforms were supported in Washington by President Trump. Those reforms ultimately passed.