FRIENDS COMMITTEE ON WASHINGTON PUBLIC POLICY

2007 LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

1.  Criminal Justice

We seek to reduce our reliance on lengthy incarceration as a criminal sanction.  We will promote measures to prevent crime, rehabilitate offenders, and facilitate their successful reentry as productive citizens

We advocate the following specific action during the 2007 legislative session:

a.  Creation of a Corrections Ombudsman—an independent state body to assure safety, respect, opportunities for productive use of time, and successful reentry conditions for all persons incarcerated in Washington prisons

b.  Adoption of the major recommendations of the Joint Task Force on Offenders Programs, Sentencing, and Supervision, including restoration of voting rights, restoration of Class I prison industries, reduction of the interest rate on criminal judgments, restoration of educational programming, provisions for housing, and other steps to increase public safety through reductions in recidivism. 

d.   Creation of a moratorium on further lengthening of statutory sentences.

2.  Economic Justice

We seek to make our state tax system less regressive and more just.  We will work with the Tax Fairness Coalition and others to assure adequate revenues for human and other important governmental services, based more closely on ability to pay.  We will join others in continuing to seek access to health care, safe and decent housing, and a living income for all Washington residents.

3.  Peace and Conflict Resolution

We advocate for measures that promote the peaceful resolution of conflict within our own state and beyond.  We will seek to assure responsible actions by agencies authorized to use force.

We advocate the following specific action during the 2007 session:

a.  Regulation of military and other recruitment in schools, including effective provisions for parents or students to opt out of recruiting, and for the imposition of sanctions for recruiting abuse, including dishonest or deceptive practices, and access violations.

4.  Other Issues

We will join with others on issues of environmental protection, civil society, and other traditional and emerging concerns of Friends on occasion as issues arise and resources permit.