[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 124 (Thursday, September 17, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H8019]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      NO SECOND CHANCES FOR MURDERERS, RAPISTS, OR CHILD MOLESTERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fox) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the House to 
speak about very important legislation I am working on with Congressman 
Matt Salmon. This legislation is the No Second Chances for Murderers, 
Rapists, or Child Molesters Act.
  Mr. Speaker, each year more than 14,000 murders, rapes and sexual 
assaults on children are committed each year by individuals who have 
been released in the neighborhoods after serving a prison sentence for 
rape, murder, or child molestation.
  Think about it. Every one of these crimes is preventable.
  These perpetrators were behind bars, convicted of heinous crimes; 
yet, Mr. Speaker, were released to prey on the population again. This 
is unconscionable, indefensible, and must stop. That is why I am 
working with my colleagues. Mr. Salmon has introduced the legislation. 
We are working together with the Law Enforcement Caucus to make sure 
this legislation is adopted.
  Public safety demands that we keep these people behind bars. Second 
chances are fine for petty crimes, however we do not believe that 
individuals who have murdered, raped, or molested a child should have 
that opportunity to repeat their criminal behavior.
  Just consider just a couple of offenses which are so tragic.
  In 1997, Arthur J. Bomar, Jr., was charged in Pennsylvania, Mr. 
Speaker, with a rape and murder of a George Mason University star 
athlete, Amy Willard. Bomar had been paroled in 1990 from a Nevada 
prison, following an 11-year stint in prison for murder. Even in prison 
he had a record of violence. Bomar is also being investigated for 
involvement in at least two other homicides that follow his release. 
Amy's mother, Gail Willard, has endorsed the legislation.
  The victims go on and on.
  We have Mary Vincent in California, and we have countless other 
witnesses who came before the Committee on the Judiciary today about 
how important this bill is.
  Released murderers, rapists, and child molesters are more likely to 
recommit the same offense than the general prison population. Released 
murderers are almost five times more likely than other ex-convicts to 
be rearrested for murder. Released rapists are 10\1/2\ times more 
likely than nonrapist offenders to have a subsequent arrest for rape. 
Astonishingly, a recent Department of Justice study revealed that 
134,300 convicted child molesters and other sex offenders are currently 
living in our neighborhoods across America.
  We want to change this, to encourage States to keep sex offenders and 
murderers in prison where they belong. Our legislation, the No Second 
Chances for Murderers, Rapists, or Child Molesters Act is what we are 
advancing. This bipartisan legislation, Mr. Speaker, would enact a 
simple process. If a State releases a murderer, a rapist, or a child 
molester and that criminal goes on to commit one of these crimes in 
another State, the State that released the criminal will compensate the 
second State and the victim in the later crime.
  This is an idea whose time has arrived, Mr. Speaker. I hope that more 
and more of our representatives will join us in this quest to have this 
legislation adopted. It has been endorsed by every major law 
enforcement organization in the United States.
  Congressman Salmon is to be congratulated for bringing this idea 
forward. Many of us have cosponsored this bill because we believe it is 
going to be a step in the right direction. This Federal bill, along 
with a similar State bill, will make sure that those people who commit 
such violent crimes will not do them a second time.

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