Tom Cotton Quotes

The key for members of the public is that they want criminals to be punished. They want them taken off the streets. They also want criminals who come out of prison to go straight.

All issues of crime are better addressed at the state level.

Gang members aren't frightened into acceptable behavior by increased penalties, enhanced punishments, and the promise of new detention facilities.

No one would normally accuse me of being soft on crime.

I think that far too often we let those who commit crimes in our society off far too lightly.

Punishment can do a lot for criminals, and send a message to the rest of society.

No punishment has ever possessed enough power of deterrence to prevent the commission of crimes.

What to do about these increases in crime? Plenty of laws already exist to punish violent criminals, and research questions the level of correlation between longer sentences and lower crime rates.

Juveniles as well as adults need to know they're going to be punished for their violent acts.

There is one stark fact facing us: three quarters of all crime that results in a caution or sentence happens because of reoffending. We must be fearless in dealing with this.

Certainly, I don't think I can ever be accused of being soft on crime.

There's a simple way to solve the crime problem: obey the law; punish those who do not.

You know what an effective deterrent to crime is? Jail! And do you know what kind of criminal penalty actually makes people think twice about committing crimes the next time? The kind that actually comes out of some individual's pocket, not fines that come out of the corporate kitty.

We make no apology for people who should be in prison being in prison.

I strongly believe that for serious and violent criminals, we must absolutely hold them accountable for their crimes and send them to prison.

We want a state of things in which crime will not pay.

I lament that we waste so much time and money in punishing crimes and take so little pains to prevent them…

Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime.

Court rules do not cause crime.

The purpose of punishment is fulfilled, crime is repressed by penalties of just, not tormenting, severity, its repetition is prevented, and hope is given for the reformation of the criminal.

Crimes are more effectually prevented by the certainty than the severity of punishment.

But passing by all other considerations, and contemplating merely the political institutions of the United States, I lament that we waste so much time and money in punishing crimes and take so little pains to prevent them.

Arresting people is not going to lower the crime rate

Every first year law student learns that sentencing has four goals: retribution, incapicitation, deterrence, and rehabilitation.

I'm very tough on crimes where there are victims who have been physically harmed. In such cases, I do not believe in leniency.