Prison Reform

Justice, Not Warehousing

A justice system should protect the public, punish real crime, and uphold the Constitution.

Too often, our current system does something different. It expands bureaucracy, creates perverse incentives, and treats incarceration as an endpoint instead of part of a larger responsibility to justice and public safety.

The result is a system that is expensive, inconsistent, and not always effective at reducing crime or restoring order.

Idaho communities deserve a system that is tough on violent crime, fair in its process, and accountable in its outcomes.

What Is Driving the Problem?

Incentives That Reward Volume Over Outcomes

In some cases, systems are structured in ways that reward higher incarceration rates rather than better public safety outcomes. This creates inefficiencies and misaligned priorities.

Overreliance on Incarceration for Nonviolent Offenses

Not every offense requires long-term incarceration. When prison is used as a default solution, it strains resources and reduces focus on serious threats.

Weak Due Process Protections in Practice

While due process is guaranteed, administrative systems, plea bargaining pressures, and uneven access to resources can lead to outcomes that do not always reflect full constitutional protections.

Limited Focus on Rehabilitation and Reentry

Without effective reentry pathways, individuals leaving prison often return to the same conditions that led to incarceration, increasing the likelihood of repeat offenses.

Why It Matters to Idaho

Idaho families want safe communities and a justice system they can trust.

That means focusing resources on violent crime, ensuring fairness in the legal process, and maintaining a system that is both accountable and effective.

A system that is perceived as unjust or ineffective weakens confidence and fails to deliver real public safety.

My Approach

We should be tough on violent crime and disciplined in how we apply justice.

Prison should be reserved for those who pose a real threat to others. At the same time, the system must uphold due process, avoid unnecessary expansion, and focus on outcomes that actually improve public safety.

Justice is not measured by how many people we incarcerate. It is measured by whether communities are safer and rights are protected.

Policy Priorities

Focus on Violent and Serious Crime

Law enforcement and correctional resources should prioritize individuals who pose a direct threat to public safety.

Strengthen Due Process Protections

I support efforts to ensure fair legal representation, transparency in proceedings, and safeguards against coercive practices that undermine constitutional rights.

Reduce Perverse Incentives

Policies should align outcomes with public safety, not system expansion. I will support reforms that remove incentives tied to incarceration volume.

Improve Reentry Outcomes

Successful reentry reduces repeat offenses and strengthens communities. I support practical approaches that help individuals reintegrate and contribute.

Increase Accountability and Transparency

The justice system must be accountable to the public. Data, outcomes, and practices should be transparent and subject to oversight.

Day One Priorities

In the Senate, I will support legislation and oversight to:

• Prioritize federal resources toward violent crime and major offenses
• Increase oversight of federal correctional systems and practices
• Strengthen due process protections within federal enforcement and prosecution
• Review sentencing practices and incentives for effectiveness and fairness
• Support policies that improve reentry outcomes and reduce repeat offenses

Bottom Line

A justice system must protect the public and uphold the Constitution at the same time.

When it becomes a system of bureaucracy, volume, and unchecked power, it fails both.

We need a system that is firm, fair, and focused on real public safety—not expansion for its own sake.