Working Today To Keep Your Family Safe
We are working hard in Columbia today. The balcony is full of law enforcement from across the state because we have the warrantless searches bill back up today. This bill will allow law enforcement to search criminals who are out on parole if they are suspected of engaging in unlawful activity.
I’ve been leading the fight in Columbia to pass this bill for one simple reason – criminals who are on parole are still under the watch of South Carolina’s judicial system. Parole is not the same as being set free. These people are still being punished for their crimes. Just because they have been released from prison does not mean their punishment is over. They have loss rights granted to normal citizens because they broke our laws.
I’m taking the floor today and pushing this bill as hard as I can because we must give law enforcement the tools they need to keep our families safe.
Keith
PS – Here’s what a couple Chiefs of Police said about my fight this morning.
“It’s obvious that Keith Kelly has been a staunch supporter of South Carolina’s law enforcement.”
- Columbia Chief of Police Tandy P. Carter
“Keith Kelly has been there for law enforcement from the beginning. He’s made sure we have the tools to keep South Carolina families safe.”
- Charleston Chief of Police Gregory G. Mullen
We Need Spending Transparency
Keith Kelly gives you a quick update from the State House and talks about his view on spending.
Gov. Sanford Calls for Passage of Sentencing Reform
LEGISLATION AIMED AT SAVING TAXPAYER DOLLARS, REDUCING RECIDIVISM
Columbia, S.C. – April 21, 2010 – Gov. Mark Sanford today joined legislative leaders and state officials to call for passage of the sentencing reform bill (S.1154) now being debated in the South Carolina House of Representatives. These reforms would reverse the trend toward incarcerating non-violent criminals who pose little or no risk to the public, discourage recidivism by providing inmates with a more closely supervised transition to society once their sentences have been served, and at the same time save taxpayers more than $400 million over the next five years. Read more
Fighting Violent Crime
Representative Keith Kelly is the lead House sponsor of the Sentencing Reform Act, keeping violent criminals behind bars while saving taxpayer dollars.
S.C. needs sentencing reform
I thought you would be interested in this article detailing the need to pass sentencing reform, which I helped draft over the last year.
- Keith
People without children might not care so much about public education (although they should).
And people who have solid jobs might not be so distressed about unemployment (although they should be, too).
But everyone in South Carolina is vulnerable to crime — from a stolen bicycle to a drive-by shooting. And everyone should encourage the state House of Representatives to vote in favor of a Senate bill that would reform criminal sentencing.
The comprehensive, bipartisan bill aims to preserve public safety and reduce crime — two worthy goals. To do that, it would provide consistency in sentencing classifications and assign punishments proportional for the offenses committed.
It would keep violent criminals behind bars, by toughening penalties for some of the most serious crimes.
But it would manage some not-so-bad lawbreakers, who don’t need to fill beds in the state’s dangerously overcrowded prisons, with community supervision.
The bill, scheduled for discussion in a House judicial subcommittee today, presumes that a drug user, for example, might become a productive citizen with appropriate counseling and oversight in the community. It recognizes that prisons aren’t ideal places for rehabilitation, as the high recidivism rate for inmates attests.
Indeed, about half of the state’s prisoners are non-violent offenders. And 24 percent of all prisoners return to prison — many for non-criminal offenses.
If things continue as they are, the Department of Corrections estimates it will take $317 million to build more prisons to meet the state’s growing needs. This is money the state can ill afford, but would have to provide for the safety of the public.
With sentencing reform, the existing prisons would be adequate — and the state would save money because the cost of community supervision is a fraction of the cost of incarceration.
The sentencing reform bill would ensure that prisons have room for the bad guys. The public deserves that security.
It also provides for the best use of public dollars in parceling out cell space — something that hard-pressed taxpayers deserve.
Happy Easter
Happy Easter
This weekend we pause to enjoy the beautiful South Carolina weather with our families and to thank God for the sacrifice he made for us.
Have a wonderful Easter. I’ll be seeing you on the campaign trail in the very near future.
God Bless,
Keith
