That's the title of an OpEd by Dallas County District Attorney in the Morning News today. LINK
During my first 100 days as Dallas County district attorney, I have challenged outdated notions of what constitutes justice and laid the groundwork for real, systemic change.
Violence is prevalent in our county, and we must face that violence head on. There is no place in our community for murderers, rapists, child molesters and other violent predators. Justice demands that these predators face swift prosecution and harsh punishment. I am committed to removing these outlaws from our streets and ensuring the safety of our families and neighbors. Where these criminals are concerned, being "tough on crime" is the only appropriate response.
To progress in the war on crime, however, we must realize the limitations of the "tough on crime" approach. If we are to succeed in ridding our community of crime, we must also be "smart on crime."
Today, more than 2 million people are in our federal and state prisons and 8 million Americans in jail, on probation or on parole. Collectively, the 50 states now spend more money building prisons than they spend on higher education. Yet fear of crime and reports of violent crime are roughly the same today as they were in the late 1960s. Moreover, the U.S. has the highest rate of violent crime of any industrialized nation.
Clearly, it takes much more than building prisons to keep our county safe. We must reject this simplistic and reactive approach to the crime problem. If we are going to be "smart on crime," we must ask ourselves, "What more can we do?"
Earlier coverage of Watkins is here.
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