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The issues that matter
We are dedicated to promoting and protecting the pillars of constitutional justice: Law enforcement trained and equipped to ensure safety; accountability for crime; protection of the rights of due process; and the opportunity, wherever possible, for rehabilitation. We believe that these conservative values will create a safer and more secure society.
What issues does TAP focus on?
Law Enforcement
Police make our communities safer. Conservatives understand that police do more to stop crime than any new piece of legislation ever could and that calls to defund the police undermine public safety and disproportionately harm vulnerable citizens. Law enforcement requires meaningful investments in training and community policing programs to build healthy relationships with community leaders and members, and to ensure people feel safe when they see police walking their beats.
Due process
Maintaining law and order requires that the government and its actors adhere to the Constitution. Conservatives want to equip law enforcement with effective tools to keep our streets safe, but understand those tools cannot violate the Constitutional rights of the accused and even the guilty., which include the presumption of innocence, the right to fair discovery practices, the right to an unbiased jury, and the right to counsel. Law and order is maintained by all of the protections provided by the Constitution – not by picking and choosing who receives those rights and which rights to honor.
Accountability
Crime cannot go unpunished: If people are shielded from the consequences of their actions, there is no incentive to improve. Conservatives understand that accountability is vital to a criminal justice system focused on public safety: Crime decreases when law enforcement is visible in the community and people know there will be consequences for their actions. Judges need the flexibility and tools to provide meaningful consequences to those who run afoul of the law and, where appropriate, incentives to inspire future good behavior.
More than a hefty sentence, the greatest crime deterrent is a person’s perception of the probability they’ll get caught. When prosecutors categorically decline to prosecute certain crimes, law enforcement are discouraged from making arrests for those crimes and it emboldens criminals. Conservatives understand that for the system to work, that people thinking about committing crimes and our police need to know there will be accountability for those who break the law.
Rehabilitation
Strong families and a strong workforce are pillars of a just society. Conservatives understand that because 95% of those who go to prison will someday come back to their families and our communities, our nation’s prisons cannot serve as graduate schools for violence and other anti-social behavior. Instead, prisons should encourage people who have made bad choices to come out better able to contribute to their families and communities. Rehabilitation is made possible through policies that allow people to utilize positive skills and behaviors learned while in prison to avoid turning back toward a criminal lifestyle.