Criminal Justice Passed General Election
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PEAPAC Recommends: NO

Competes with M61; blurs line between sin and sickness; punishment is central to civil govt (Rom 13); sentences are too light.

Summary

Legislature’s alternative to Measure 61; increases sentences for some crimes but focuses on treatment.

Biblical Reasoning

Romans 12:17-13:4 and 1 Peter 2:14 clearly teach that the punishment of criminals is central to the role of civil government. In the Bible, crime is not seen as an illness, but a serious sin to be punished, so that the offender might learn his lesson and change his ways.

Measure 57, on the other hand, tends to promote things such as drug treatment programs. Such methods are more properly to be performed by churches, families and various benevolence institutions. Measure 57 blends treatment and punishment and even replaces some prison time with them, and thus continues to blur the line between sin and sickness.

Romans 12:17-13:4 — “Romans 12:17-13:4 and 1 Peter 2:14 clearly teach that the punishment of criminals is central to the role of civil government.”
1 Peter 2:14 — “Romans 12:17-13:4 and 1 Peter 2:14 clearly teach that the punishment of criminals is central to the role of civil government.”

Election Results

61%
39%
YesNo

Voters approved Measure 57 (61% Yes), and rejected Measure 61, so 57 became law.

Full PEAPAC Analysis

PEAPAC Commentary This Measure is a direct competitor to Measure 61, which toughens prison sentences for property and drug crimes. The Legislature, seeing the probable approval of Measure 61, got their own Measure put on the ballot, and passed a bill stating that whichever Measure gets more Yes votes will be the one that becomes law. In other words, if you want to vote Yes on Measure 61, you should also vote No on Measure 57. And that’s just what we recommend — No on Measure 57 and Yes on Measure 61.

Romans 12:17-13:4 and 1 Peter 2:14 clearly teach that the punishment of criminals is central to the role of civil government. In the Bible, crime is not seen as an illness, but a serious sin to be punished, so that the offender might learn his lesson and change his ways. Measure 61 is more clearly directed to this basic biblical truth. Measure 57, on the other hand, tends to promote things such as drug treatment programs. Such methods are more properly to be performed by churches, families and various benevolence institutions. Measure 57 blends treatment and punishment and even replaces some prison time with them, and thus continues to blur the line between sin and sickness. The end result is that law-abiding citizens are threatened by criminals who are allowed to roam free. The civil government is best at punishing criminals and protecting citizens, and the private culture is best at helping criminals learn better habits.

Additionally, Measure 57 doles out some very short sentences for some very major crimes. For instance, it does not mandate prison terms for drug dealers selling less than 100 grams of meth, or about 400 doses. By way of comparison, the Federal sentencing guidelines have mandatory prison terms for sales of as little as 5 grams. We could go on, but the point is that Measure 57 falls short of providing the protection law-abiding citizens deserve. Measure 61 deserves your support, and your support for 61 should include a No vote on 57.

Related Measures

Measure 61 (2008) — Competing tough-on-crime measure supported by PEAPAC View →

← PreviousMeasure 56 (2008)