Criminal Justice Reform
A justice system that prioritizes fairness, rehabilitation, and community trust.
Justice should be about truth, not toughness. The Halcyon Party believes a just society punishes when necessary, rehabilitates when possible, and always protects the rights of the accused and the safety of the public. We approach reform with evidence, not emotion — and effectiveness, not theatrics.
Rebuild Trust Between Communities and Police
Safety depends on legitimacy.
We support:
National use-of-force standards, including bans on chokeholds and no-knock warrants in most circumstances.
Independent civilian review boards for police misconduct, with subpoena power and transparency mandates.
Decoupling roles: redirecting nonviolent, noncriminal calls (e.g. mental health crises) to civilian crisis teams, not armed officers.
End Qualified Immunity
Accountability isn’t optional — it’s foundational.
We advocate:
Eliminating qualified immunity for public officials, especially law enforcement, in cases of proven civil rights violations.
Creating a national police misconduct registry, so problem officers can’t jump jurisdictions to avoid consequences.
Mandatory liability insurance for police departments, to align financial incentives with constitutional behavior.
End the Two-Tier Justice System
Wealth should not determine freedom.
We propose:
Eliminating cash bail for nonviolent offenses — no one should be jailed for being poor.
Pretrial services with robust monitoring and court reminders to reduce flight risk without incarceration.
Fully funded public defender systems, with manageable caseloads and fair pay parity with prosecutors.
Treat Root Causes
We’re overusing jails to fix what society won’t.
We support:
Mental health diversion courts, drug courts, and trauma-informed care pathways.
Expansion of community-based mental health and addiction treatment, including crisis stabilization centers.
“Care not cages” incentives, funding alternatives to incarceration that reduce recidivism and cost.
End Mass Incarceration
Prison should be a last resort, not a business model.
We advocate:
Abolishing federal mandatory minimums for nonviolent drug and property crimes.
Restoring judicial discretion while still collecting sentencing data for bias audits.
Phasing out private prisons, where profit conflicts with rehabilitation.
Make Second Chances Real
Re-entry begins the day someone is sentenced — not the day they're released.
We propose:
Automatic record expungement for eligible nonviolent offenses after rehabilitation.
Job training and housing support for returning citizens, not just parole check-ins.
“Ban the box” protections on job applications — with exceptions only for high-risk positions.
Forensic Integrity and Wrongful Conviction Reform
The system must value truth over finality.
We support:
Nationwide standards for forensic science, ending the use of junk science in courtrooms.
Fully funded conviction integrity units, with access to DNA testing and impartial case review.
Compensation for the wrongfully convicted, indexed to years served and lost opportunities.
Promote a Culture of Guardians
Policing isn’t combat. It’s community care.
We advocate:
Training in de-escalation, trauma awareness, and procedural justice as core academy components.
Wellness and mental health support for officers, including mandatory counseling after critical incidents.
Performance reviews based on public trust metrics, not just arrests or citations.