Memphis mayoral candidates mostly agree with the public on the need to tighten gun laws in Tennessee in an effort to quell violence.

However, there’s much more daylight among them about whether tougher prison sentences act as a deterrent for violent crime. 

The Daily Memphian sent the Memphis results of its countywide crime poll to eight mayoral candidates and a list of questions. The candidates agreed with the public that fighting crime should be the number one priority of the mayor.

Residents overwhelmingly want more police in Memphis

The survey and the candidate’s responses to it come as the city deals with a homicide pace that could threaten records, an explosion in car break-ins that mirrors numbers seen nationwide and notable incidents of violence throughout the past year. 

The city’s current mayor, term-limited Jim Strickland, has spent almost his entire second term describing the criminal justice system as a “revolving door” and saying light prison sentences and bail policies are the reason for violent crime.

The Daily Memphian surveyed Floyd Bonner, Karen Camper, Frank Colvett, J.W. Gibson, Willie Herenton, Michelle McKissack, Van Turner and Paul Young. 

The candidate’s entire responses are embedded within this story. You can find them here:

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Of the candidates surveyed, Colvett did not reply and Herenton did not answer the questions posed. 

The candidates reacted to the poll with concern and described the city as being at an inflection point.

“The sentiment echoed by our fellow Memphians is not just valid, it’s urgent. This isn’t about agreeing or disagreeing — this is about recognizing a palpable fear that affects people’s lives daily. Our community is voicing their concerns, and we must validate and address these worries,” Paul Young said. 

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Michelle McKissack said: “Memphians are hurting from the level of crime in our city. Memphians want to feel safe… On Mother’s Day weekend this year, my 85-year-old mother survived a shooting at a local restaurant. This is personal for me.”

Sentencing question prompts barb from Bonner

The Daily Memphian asked the candidates about the fact that 44% of Memphians consider tougher prison sentences an essential policy measure to reduce crime and asked whether the candidates feel they work as a deterrent. 

Several offered a nuanced answer. Camper, Gibson, McKissack, Turner and Young said some variations of tougher sentences are one piece of a crime-fighting puzzle. 

“If you have committed a crime, then you need to face the consequences. Those consequences should be proportional to the crime, though. What I believe will change the trajectory of crime in our city is if we can intervene before someone becomes involved in a life of crime. If they have been incarcerated, how do we work to prevent them from returning to a life of crime,” Camper said. 

Daily Memphian survey shows community’s thoughts on local crime

At a debate sponsored by The Daily Memphian in April, all of those candidates — except for Turner, who didn’t attend — responded to Eric Barnes, publisher of The Daily Memphian, about the purpose of jail and prison and whether it worked as a deterrent. 

Camper said it was not a deterrent, and so did Gibson, McKissack and Young.

All four said the current criminal justice system does not effectively rehabilitate people who are incarcerated. They advocated for job programs and education opportunities to reduce recidivism. 

Floyd Bonner, who didn’t attend that same crime forum, seized on their previous answers, saying that his opponents are “out of touch.”

“This poll shows how out of touch with the citizens of Memphis my opponents are — each who said in a forum that they do not believe jail is a crime deterrent. It’s time we stop coddling criminals and stand up for victims. It’s time we stop letting out-of-state money dictate policies in our community,” Bonner said. 

Turner, who did not attend that same crime forum, said: “For the most violent criminals, a tough sentence makes sense, but we can’t focus on punishment so much that we are unfair or have police abuses. I am proud to be endorsed by District Attorney Steve Mulroy.”

Mulroy has, like Gov. Bill Lee, said tougher sentencing laws passed in 2022 will cause prison populations to balloon.

J.W. Gibson, who said at the April forum that he did not think jail in its current forum was a deterrent, gave a more evolved answer. 

“Harsher sentencing for violent and repeat offenders can in many cases help reduce crime. I also believe that proactive intervention measures, such as counseling, should be a community priority, especially for first-time offenders and juveniles,” Gibson said.