Democrats Attack Bill to Curb Gang Violence (Reuters)

[Up2Late]

(So, why DO Democrats HATE America?):sarcasm:

Democrats Attack Bill to Curb Gang Violence

Tue Apr 5, 2005 05:30 PM ET

By Alan Elsner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic lawmakers and youth advocacy groups on Tuesday fiercely attacked a Republican bill that would impose mandatory sentences of at least 10 years on people convicted of gang violence and treat some juvenile gang members as adults. The Gang Deterrence and Community Protection Act of 2005, popularly known as the "Gangbusters Bill," would create new criminal gang prosecution offenses and enhance existing penalties to deter and punish gang activity. "This is a tough bill. We recognize there are those who want it softer. But gangs in America are not soft," said Rep. Randy Forbes, the Virginia Republican who authored the bill.

Speaking at a hearing of the House of Representatives subcommittee on crime, terrorism and homeland security, Forbes said the legislation would send a message to gang members that if they committed a violent offense, they were going to jail for a minimum of 10 years. Overall, crime rates have fallen sharply in the United States over the past decade and are now around 33 percent lower than in 1994. But local police in many areas of the nation report increased incidence of youth and gang violence since 2000.

The Justice Department estimates there are more than 25,000 gangs active in the United States with more than 750,000 members. Gangs engage in drugs trafficking, prostitution, document falsification and often conduct deadly turf wars against each other. Mandatory minimum sentences, especially for drug offenses, are believed to be a central reason behind the growth of the U.S. prison and jail system to become the largest in the world with 2.2 million people behind bars. Democrats argued that existing laws were sufficient and judges should retain the freedom to deal with youthful criminals on an individual basis, referring them to treatment instead of prison where appropriate.

U.S. District Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald told the subcommittee gangs were implicated in at least 60 percent of the 448 murders that took place last year in Chicago. But Virginia Democrat Bobby Scott said the bill would only waste money and increase crime. "Mandatory minimum sentences create more harm than good," he said. Michigan Rep. John Conyers, a fellow Democrat, said the bill reflected the philosophy of those in the United States who still believed in "locking them up and throwing away the key." Continued ...

[rodeodance]

1. so this is what Laura has been up to!! --lock um up!! figues!!

[rodeodance]

3. terrible headline!! --should be called "Laura's gangbuster bill"

[Synnical]

12. Yeah, that's really the headline!

The So-Called-Liberal-Media at work again!

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. I don't suppose this bill

includes any money to support gang prevention efforts? Or are we just going to - as Conyers said - lock them up and throw away the key?

[rodeodance]

4. lock um lock--just like in Iraq

[rodeodance]

6. "Prosecuting children as adults is proven to increase crime among juvenil

we never learn do we!!


Robert Shepherd, a former chair of the American Bar Association's juvenile justice committee, particularly objected to a clause that would allow 16 and 17-year-old gang members to be tried as adults in federal courts.

Shepherd, a professor emeritus at the University of Richmond, called the measure "unwise and contrary to much evidence" which suggested that juvenile punished as adults were more likely to be raped and abused in jail and more likely to reoffend after they were released.

"Longer sentences are not necessarily better and more protective of society especially where juveniles are concerned," he said.

The National Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition, a group of nearly 100 national organizations focused on juvenile justice, also condemned the bill at a news conference on Tuesday.

"Prosecuting children as adults is proven to increase crime among juveniles," the Coalition said in a statement. "Moreover, this approach ignores the effectiveness of evidence-based treatments that have actually been proven to reduce youth violence."

[Gyre]

9. like to see a link please.

and any others you might have on this subject.

Gyre

[Up2Late]

10. That's page 2 of this story

The link is at the bottom where it says "Continue..."

[bluestateguy]

5. What business is this of the federal government?

Crime is a state and local issue, unless the issue directly concerns specifically federal crimes.

Big government conservatives at it again!

[rodeodance]

7. Bush made Laura the gang czar you know- so probably they reason

it is now a federal bill . Big government.

[Nevernose]

13. Seriosuly? "Federal Gang Czar?"

How the hell did I miss that? It's like a Mormon running an AA meeting.

[Up2Late]

15. I guess you didn't watch *'s 2005 SotU Speech?

He announced it there.

That's O.K., most here chose to miss that BS too. I only watched it (via download from CSPAN.com) after I heard on "The Daily Show" that he got BOOOOOed.

You should go to Comedy Central .com and look for the Video there, they covered the highlights (and lowlights).:evilgrin:

[Dave Reynolds]

8. Sure, we have so much room in the prisons now,

let's toss in every 14 year old gang banger too.

On edit: sarcasm, this is.

[Mills Street]

11. Crime rates down 33% from '94, violent crime rising since 2000...

I think we should ask that guy who was in charge from 1994-2000. I bet he would know what to do.

[Up2Late]

14. It's "funny" how the crime rates fall when all but 3.9% ...

...have jobs.:think:

But 3.9% unemployment makes Army Recruitment very "Challenging."

[w4rma]

16. Maybe we should just shoot them in the street, instead, like China does.

Republicans LOVE *any* law that give them more control over folks. And locking folks up for longer periods of time, for possibly minor infractions, is right up their psycho alley.

[GettysbergII]

17. More and longer convictions = More privatized prisons= More profit