Hillary Clinton has announced a crime plan. AP story here. Campaign blog post here.

I'm pleased to see that the crime issue is getting attention in the presidential race, and some of the elements in the plan are encouraging. Making prisoners work 40 hour weeks has long been needed. Unfortunately, it appears that Senator Clinton has bought into the myth that our prisons are chock full of drug "offenders" who are there merely for personal use as opposed to sale.

Conspicuously absent is any mention of the federal government's role in blocking the enforcement of Pennsylvania's death penalty and thereby denying its people the benefits of deterrence. What kinds of judges will you appoint to the Third Circuit and Pennsylvania District Courts, Sen. Clinton? Will your AG certify Pennsylvania under Chapter 154 of 28 U.S.C.? Of course, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court bears a large share of the blame, and there is nothing the feds can do about that, but the federal role is also significant. If you are going to talk about cutting the murder rate in half, you should address this issue.