[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 45 Introduced in House (IH)]







111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 45

   Raising awareness and promoting education on the criminal justice 
  system by establishing March as ``National Criminal Justice Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 9, 2009

 Mr. Poe of Texas (for himself, Mr. Costa, Mr. Holden, Ms. Matsui, and 
Mr. Marchant) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                     the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Raising awareness and promoting education on the criminal justice 
  system by establishing March as ``National Criminal Justice Month''.

Whereas there are approximately three million Americans employed within the 
        justice system;
Whereas approximately seven million adults are on probation, parole, or are 
        incarcerated;
Whereas millions of Americans have been victims of crime and, consequently, lost 
        income, incurred medical expenses, and suffered emotionally;
Whereas the cost of crime to individuals, communities, businesses, and the 
        various levels of government exceeds the billions of dollars spent each 
        year in administering the criminal justice system;
Whereas, in 2006, fifty percent of Americans admitted they fear that their home 
        would be burglarized when they are not home; thirty-four percent of 
        American women feared that they would be sexually assaulted; and forty-
        four percent of Americans feared they would be a victim of a terrorist 
        attack;
Whereas approximately thirty-five percent of Americans have very little or no 
        confidence in the criminal justice system and the negative effects of 
        crime in regard to confidence in governmental agencies and overall 
        social stability are immeasurable;
Whereas crime rates have dropped since the early 1990s, but most Americans 
        believe that the rate of crime is increasing;
Whereas Federal, State, and local governments increased their spending for 
        police protection, corrections, judicial, and legal activities in fiscal 
        year 2005 by 5.5 percent or $204 billion; and
Whereas there is a need to educate Americans and to promote awareness within 
        American society as to the causes and consequences of crime, as well as 
        the strategies and developments for preventing and responding to crime: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That--
            (1) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that--
                    (A) National Criminal Justice Month provides an 
                opportunity to educate Americans on the criminal 
                justice system; and
                    (B) Americans should be aware of the causes and 
                consequences of crime, how to prevent crime, and how to 
                respond to crime; and
            (2) the House of Representatives urges policymakers, 
        criminal justice officials, educators, victim service 
        providers, nonprofits, community leaders, and others to promote 
        awareness of how to prevent and respond to crime through 
        National Criminal Justice Month.
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