Crime and Gang Violence

Ensuring the safety of my constituents is a top priority for me as a member of the House of Representatives. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, since 2000, property crimes in Clayton County have dropped by 20 percent, but unfortunately, violent crimes have increased by 15 percent – including a 62 percent rise in the number of murders per capita. In town hall events held this year, I heard concerns from many constituents about gang violence and its penetration of schools in the area. The Clayton News-Daily reported last year that Clayton County has among the worst gang problems in Georgia, second only to Gwinnett County in our area. In light of these problems, I have and will continue to work diligently to provide our local law enforcement with the resources they need to combat crime and protect our communities from violent activity.

I am a co-sponsor of H.R. 3546, to reauthorize the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program through FY 2012. The JAG program provides funding for various programs to improve law enforcement, prosecution, crime prevention, education, corrections and drug treatment initiatives. Successful grant recipients can not only earn interest on funding in order to finance future activities, but can also receive funding beyond a four-year period without reapplication.

I am a co-sponsor of H.R. 3846, the Youth PROMISE Act, which would establish community-based advisory councils to implement research-based strategies for the prevention and early intervention of juvenile delinquency. By targeting investments to constructive early childhood, after school, job-training and mentoring programs, we will reduce the rates of juveniles entering the criminal justice system, which is not only expensive to taxpayers but also a major social cost to our communities. Research also shows that by increasing the number of males graduating from high school by 5 percent, we would save $5 billion in crime-related expenses. It is never too late to make these important investments to get our youth on the right track again.

I am a co-sponsor of H.R. 2352, the School Safety Enhancements Act of 2007, which would increase funding for the Secure Our Schools program through the Department of Justice. This program provides matching funds to school districts to create safer learning environments through security enhancements, security personnel training and coordination with law enforcement agencies.

I have also sent letters to the Appropriations Committee in support of increased funding for the availability of safe after school programs in my district. Students in our communities are much more likely to engage in risky behavior during unsupervised after-school hours. In Georgia, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program provides supervised activities benefiting academic enrichment and literacy services to students and families. Yet due to decreased funding, only 6 percent of new applicants will be able to receive funding this year. I am pleased the FY 08 Labor/HHS bill will increase funding for CCLC by $50 million as part of a total $125 million increase for all after school centers.

I also sent a letter in support of increased funding for the Safe and Drug Free School and Communities and Drug Free Communities program. Programs all over my district have provided students with drug prevention and problem solving resources to help them make good decisions and avoid drugs. Research indicates that gangs are heavily involved in the distribution of illegal drugs. The 2005 National Gang Threat Assessment estimates that 60 percent of gangs were “moderately to highly involved” in drug trafficking at the street level. By supporting the availability of these programs, we can help students make good choices in order to steer them from a life of drugs and criminal activity.

Criminal Justice

Many events last year – from the battle to free Genarlow Wilson to the events at Jena High School in Louisiana – underscored the racial disparities that continue to taint our criminal justice system.

Last December, the Supreme Court ruled that minimum sentencing guidelines for crack cocaine possession, which disproportionately imprison African Americans, are unjust compared to sentencing guidelines for powder cocaine. In 2002, African Americans constituted more than 80 percent of the people sentenced under the harsh federal crack cocaine laws and served substantially more time in prison for drug offenses than did whites, while more than two-thirds of crack cocaine users in the United States were white or Hispanic. Furthermore, the average sentence for a crack cocaine offense in 2003 (123 months) was three and a half years longer than the average sentence for an offense involving the powder form of the drug (81 months). These facts cannot be ignored any longer and the Supreme Court ruling amplifies the disparities that persist within the judicial system. As your representative, I am working diligently in Congress to change these dangerous precedents.

I have joined as a co-sponsor of H.R. 4545, which would eliminate mandatory minimums for simple possession of cocaine, as well as raise the mandatory minimum (10 years) for possession of crack cocaine from 50 grams to 5 kilograms and mandatory minimum (5 years) for possession of crack from 5 to 500 grams, as with powder cocaine. Additionally, this legislation would direct the Sentencing Commission to amend sentencing guidelines to ensure penalties account for dangerous weapons or violence, culpability of the defendant. H.R. 4545 also authorizes a grant program to improve the provision of drug treatment to offenders in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities while increasing penalties for major drug traffickers.