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			    GENERAL-RKBA Digest 361
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) CRIMESTRIKE: Members Of U.S. House Vote To Free Felons by NRA Alerts 
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Topic No. 1
Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 17:10:20 -0400 (EDT)
From: NRA Alerts 
To: general-rkba-real.nra
Subject: CRIMESTRIKE: Members Of U.S. House Vote To Free Felons
Message-ID: 
                        NRA CrimeStrike's
                        CrimeWatch Weekly
            Breaking news on critical crime-fighting 
                 issues, policies and legislation
 
Vol. 4, No.  19                                      May 12, 1998
 
                  Anti-Self Defense Members Of 
                  U.S. House Vote To Free Felons
     The House is poised to vote next week on the amended version
of H.R. 1252, the Judiciary Reform Act. On April 23, House
Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-TX) succeeded in adding a bipartisan,
life-saving amendment (H.R. 3718) prohibiting federal courts from
ordering the early release of felons as a remedy to prison
conditions. Under the amendment, cosponsored by Congressman John
Murtha (D-PA), federal courts could still impose any other
remedies for overcrowding, conditions of confinement, or any
other violation of inmate rights.
     Federal court orders that free prison inmates as a remedy to
overcrowding have reduced public safety in many states. In
Florida, such an order forced the early release of 127,486
inmates who, once free, committed more than 15,000 crimes
including 346 murders and 185 sex offenses. In Pennsylvania, a
federal court order forced the early release of 600 inmates a
week for a year. Once free, these convicted criminals committed
79 murders, 959 robberies, 90 rapes and more than 1,100 assaults.
In fact, the Bureau of Justice statistics reports that every day,
14 people will be murdered, 48 women raped, and 570 people robbed
by criminals free on parole and probation.
     Despite the toll in human suffering caused by this practice,
52 members of the U.S. House voted to permit it to continue,
including Representatives David Bonior (D-Mich), George Brown (D-
Cal), John Conyers (D-Mich), Bill Delahunt (D-Mass), Sheila
Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich), Major Owens (D-
NY), Nancy Pelosi (D-Cal), Charles Rangle (D-NY), and Maxine
Waters (D-Cal). 
                  WI Attorney General Addresses 
                  State A.G.'s At Crime Meeting
     More than two dozen State Attorneys General met in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, last week for the National Association of
Attorneys General (NAAG)- sponsored "Presidential Summit: Crime &
Technology" meeting.
     James E. Doyle (D), Attorney General of Wisconsin and
President of the NAAG, said the purpose of the meeting was to
help people understand why urban crime rates are declining and to
share ideas on how to continue the trend.  Doyle also suggested
that many successful ideas for fighting crime come from the local
level, "The best ideas don't have to come from Washington D.C.,
or our state capitals," he said.
     An example given was that of the Boston Gun Project, headed
by Harvard fellow David M. Kennedy. He said that at one time,
Boston averaged 45 killings annually of people under age 24; this
figure has dropped to ten.  The Boston Gun Project is largely
credited with the largest decrease in juvenile homicide in any
city in the nation.
     Another example cited was that of truth-in-sentencing, 
touted by North Carolina Superior Court Judge Thomas W. Ross, as
cutting crime by keeping violent criminals behind bars.  Truth-
in-sentencing is a proven practice that saves lives and money.
CrimeStrike has long supported truth-in-sentencing and the Boston
Gun Project.  For a fact sheet on either, please call 1-800-868-
4411. 
     In a related item, Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker
(D), has asked the state paroling agency voluntarily to end
parole for violent criminals after a similar measure, pushed by
Gov. Zell Miller (D), failed in the legislature.
     The parole board announced last year that it voluntarily
adopted rules to force violent offenders to serve 90 percent of
their sentences before being eligible for parole consideration.  
     Opponents say that this isn't enough because, since this was
a change in rules, not law, it could be changed at anytime. 
                       
                       Violence In Schools 
     CHECH OUT THE NRA STATEMENT ON THE MSNBC WEBSITE UNDER 
       "Opinions." Address: www.msnbc.com/news/164434.asp 
                      Paroled Sex Offender 
                  Strikes Again In Massachusetts
 
     Timothy Vacher, 29, of North Attleboro, Massachusetts, has
been sentenced to 9-10 years in prison, and must spend 10 years
on probation upon his release.  Vacher was caught on videotape in
a clothing store trying to lure a six-year-old away from her
mother.
     Vacher was on parole from a 1995 conviction for exposing
himself to four girls when the November 1996 incident occurred in
the store.  Vacher was seen on the tape following the girl and
her mother through the children's department, when he lured the
girl into a clothing rack and touched her.  He was apprehended by
store security guards.
     "We're happy the judge saw it our way," said Assistant
Bristol County District Attorney Renee Dupuis. "This little girl
was only two feet away from her mother," he said.
CORRECTION: In last week's CWW newsletter, David Spanbauer was
incorrectly identified as Eric Spanbauer.
=+=+=+=+
This information is provided as a service of the National Rifle
Association Institute for Legislative Action, Fairfax, VA.
This and other information on the Second Amendment and the NRA is
available at: http://WWW.NRA.Org
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End of GENERAL-RKBA Digest 361
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