Anne Colt Leitess
Democrat
http://www.annearundelanne.com/
- In your opinion is there a difference between being “tough on crime” and being “smart on crime”? Please explain.
I think that a prosecutor can be both “tough on crime” and “smart on crime”—they aren’t mutually exclusive concepts and both approaches can be used to keep our communities safer.
For non-violent crimes, I fully support diversion programs for those who are first time offenders or for crimes which don’t pose a threat to public safety. There are many crimes where restitution, community service, counseling or treatment will be more effective in curtailing behavior than imposition of a criminal finding and/or jail sentence. Many crimes are driven by drug addiction and abuse and require treatment of the underlying cause first. I long ago recognized the value to the individual and the community by diverting low-level crimes from the criminal docket. A person with a criminal record will lose most employment opportunities which hurts them, their families and society. Incarceration ends up costing taxpayers a lot of money and should be reserved for violent offenders. As part of the management team in the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office from 2007-2013, I helped expand diversion to include cases involving driving while suspended charges, first time drug offenses and non-distribution marijuana offenses. Our bad check program diverted cases for payment of restitution. Our office instituted a plan with the public defender’s office for an early resolution docket to get non-violent offenders’ cases resolved quickly when they could not make bail. This helped alleviate cases where a person was serving time simply because they didn’t have the funds to post a money bail. When I served as the State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel County from 2013-2015, I expanded the Drug Court program in the District Court by adding extra staff to a second drug court docket where we sought treatment in lieu of jail. Opportunities for diversion helps the community (and taxpayers) by avoiding costly incarceration and giving offenders the chance to keep their jobs and families intact while receiving intensive treatment for their drug addiction.
I draw a line in the sand when it comes to violent crime. I consider public safety and protecting the community and victims of crime to be my paramount concern and will seek jail and prison sentences for dangerous individuals.
- Should minor offenses be decriminalized, resulting in fines instead of jail time?
I am in favor of having fines or community service or treatment/counseling in place of many must appear driving offenses and petty crimes. Such petty offenses include but are not limited to trespassing, alcohol possession offenses, driving while suspended and minor drug possession. While many petty crimes also carry jail time, as a matter of practice my prosecutors and I often sought alternative sentences or didn’t oppose a probation before judgment finding when it was appropriate. It’s been my experience that the majority of those committing petty crimes are often suffering from drug addiction, and incarceration will not correct their behavior but treatment might. I’ve also found that many first time offenders don’t come back to court if they are given a chance to keep their records clean and correct the issue that brought them to court in the first place. This could include cleaning up their outstanding driving record, participating in anger management or behavioral counseling, attending a drug or alcohol program or making restitution for damages.
- Do you favor using pretrial risk assessment? Will you recommend pretrial supervision?
I believe that those persons charged with non-violent crimes should be released pending trial unless they are a flight risk or danger to others. Our current bail system punishes those who cannot afford to get out by posting a money bail. Some jurisdictions don’t use their Pre-Trial Services appropriately to monitor those out on bail, and so they end up incarcerating people at a higher rate than other jurisdictions. Those persons charged with crimes against people should have their pre-trial risk assessments considered closely, although it is not a fail-safe tool in determining future behavior. I consider crimes of violence such as armed robbery, rape and sexual offenses, crimes against children, attempted murder and any crimes committed with a dangerous or deadly weapon to be ones where I would ask that the defendant be held pending trial to ensure the safety of the community and/or the victim.
- Would you work to expand criminal diversions in which willing victims and offenders are offered mediation?
I fully supported the Anne Arundel County Mediation Program for more than 25 years when I was a prosecutor in Anne Arundel County. In fact, the program was one of the first of its kind in Maryland. When I served as State’s Attorney, I sought and obtained grant funding to staff the mediation program when budget cuts threatened our ability to continue the program. I encouraged my staff to refer cases to our mediator where appropriate, especially for non-violent family and neighbor disputes. I certainly recognize that the criminal courts cannot adequately resolve all disputes in a manner that will keep the peace in a neighborhood or satisfy all of the parties, but mediation offers the chance for a satisfactory outcome for all. As State’s Attorney, I would continue to make mediation part of a comprehensive diversion program and would look for opportunities to expand it.
- Would you support reentry programs to improve employment opportunities for inmates returning from state prison sentences?
I believe that re-entry programs are the next frontier in criminal justice reform and are long overdue. As I understand the current status of Anne Arundel County’s policies, no companies employing anyone with criminal records are permitted to bid on county construction jobs or other projects. This rule discourages businesses who want to do county work from giving offenders a second chance. I support job training opportunities for those individuals who are currently serving their sentences in our local detention center. One model job training example is the Lighthouse Shelter restaurant in Annapolis that gives homeless persons a chance to work in the restaurant, training them in all aspects of the business. Those workers are then able to move on to other restaurant jobs in the community, making room for more workers to get back on their feet. Another example of potential job opportunities for inmates is through the work release program at the Anne Arundel County detention center where inmates without jobs were placed with employers. The detention center screened inmates and employers trusted the program to provide suitable workers. I am not sure if this program is still in place today but it was for many years when I worked in the county.
- Would you support mental health screening and treatment of pretrial detainees?
I support mental health screening and treatment of pretrial detainees. I believe that our local detention centers are dealing with an overwhelming amount of persons suffering from both mental health and drug addiction but there is not enough staff to handle the need. Our county needs to fully fund doctors, psychiatrists and medical staff to effectively address their needs.
