Q1

Please provide some basic information about  yourself.

Name Ryan Deems

Office Sought House of Delegates, District 48

City/Town Clarksburg

Email Address Ryanforwv@gmail.com

Q2

From 1980 to 2016 the West Virginia state prison population has increased by 470%.  What, if anything, would you change to reverse this trend?

This increase is unacceptable. There are lots of people who are held in our jails before trial because they can't produce the cash bond. We should get rid of cash bond for non-violent offenders. We should also invest in detox and drug treatment programs instead of putting non-violent, first-time offenders in jail. If West Virginia legalizes cannabis, I will push to have those with cannabis -related charges (small amounts) released from prison. These are a just a few of the methods we could take to return our prisons to a more acceptable population level.

Q3

Civil asset forfeiture is a process where police can seize any property "related" to criminal activity and later can file a civil case to forfeit the property to either be used or auctioned for money which is shared between the police department and local prosecutor.  This can happen regardless of whether there is a criminal conviction or even criminal charges brought against a person.Proponents say this is a useful tool for taking ill-gotten gains from criminals and funding police work, and that legal protections adequately prevent abuse of the system.Critics say the system amounts to theft, that many people cannot afford the legal costs to challenge a forfeiture action, and that it creates a perverse incentive for police.Do you support or oppose the practice of civil asset forfeiture?  What, if any, reforms would you make to the practice?

Assets should only be forfeited if the owner is found guilty of a crime and the asset was used to aide in the crime.

Q4

More than half the population of West Virginia's regional jails are pre-trial.  That means they haven't been found guilty of any crime yet.  Most are there because they could not afford bail, though some are there because they were denied a chance to post bail.  What changes, if any would you make to our pretrial and/or bail system to balance concerns about safety and court efficiency with ensuring we are not incarcerating people without due process?

As I stated in #2, we should not put most non-violent offenders in prison before their trial just because they can't afford the bond. I will support measures to shift to more home confinement and ensure swifter justice

Q5

In 2015 West Virginia passed significant reforms to the juvenile justice system.  Despite these reforms, the State still utilizes out of home placement at a high rate for system-involved youth.  What, if anything, should West Virginia do to reduce out-of-home placements for system-involved juveniles?

We need to invest in a robust program to hire more social workers to work with juveniles and try to keep those who have an acceptable home life there. The goal should always be to rehabilitate juvenile offenders in or close to their homes to prepare them for life after their supervision/sentence is over.

Q6

West Virginia has a very low voter participation rate.  What changes, if any, would you make to increase voter participation?

The Secretary of State's office has been dragging their feet on automatic voter registration for too long. We should move to become a "vote-by-mail" state because those states experience very high voter turnout. It also eliminates many hurdles that some people face to vote.

Q7

Over the past few years, there has been legislation aimed at requiring the Bible to be taught in public schools, allowing a Bible-based elective, or faith-based drug prevention electives.  What is your stance on incorporating religion into the public schools?

Religious courses that focus on one specific religion or text should not be allowed. I am willing to consider/support a world religion or sacred text class that surveys multiple religions/texts. My main concern is finding someone who is qualified to teach this class. As a teacher, I know how overworked staff are. There is also no training/professional development available to teach this class, and faculty members might be forced to teach this subject even though they feel uncomfortable.

Q8

At least 20 states have passed laws prohibiting discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.  13 West Virginia municipalities have similar protections.  Do you support or oppose a statewide law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in West Virginia?  Why?

We should not allow any discrimination. I believe that our failure to enact protections for the LGBTQ+ community has encouraged many young West Virginians to leave and never come back. I also believe that it has hurt our ability to attract large businesses to our state.

Q9

In December 2019, Governor Justice announced that West Virginia would continue accepting refugees.  Do you support or oppose accepting refugees in West Virginia?  Under what conditions?  Why?

I support this whole-heartedly. The refugees are screened sufficiently before they are placed here and add great value to our communities.

Q10

Over the past few years, some states have continued to erode protections and access to abortion care.  Other states have done the opposite and codified abortion rights that had previously been defined by courts.  Do you favor further restrictions to abortion, expanding or codifying abortion rights, or taking no action on abortion?

Abortion should be safe and legal, but rare. There should be a limit on later-term abortions to only allow them when the life of the mother and/or baby is endangered. I also think exceptions should be made in cases of rape and incest. "Heartbeat bills" that limit abortions after 6 weeks are too restrictive. The truth of the matter is that abortions are medical procedure and those decisions should be made by a woman, her medical team, and her support system. we should codify these rights to preserve them for future generations.