[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 94 (Tuesday, June 29, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7829-S7830]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       JUVENILE CRIME IN AMERICA

 Mr. GRAMS. Mr. President, I rise today to express my support 
for the recent passage by the Senate of S. 254, the ``Violent and 
Repeat Offender Accountability and Rehabilitation Act of 1999.''
  One of the most complex issues facing our society is how communities 
confront the troubling trends in violent crime committed by young 
people. In particular, the recent tragedy in Littleton, Colorado 
underscores that all elements of our society, including parents, faith-
based organizations, local officials, educators, students, and law 
enforcement officials should be encouraged to work together to develop 
innovative and effective solutions to reducing and preventing violent 
acts committed by our nation's youth.
  In 1997, young people under the age of eighteen represented 17 
percent of all violent arrests; 50 percent of all arson arrests; 37 
percent of burglary arrests; and 14 percent of murder arrests. Overall 
in 1997, law enforcement agencies made approximately 2.8 million 
arrests of persons under the age of eighteen. These sobering statistics 
indicate the need to combat youth violence in America to ensure that 
the young offenders of today do not become the career criminals of 
tomorrow.
  For these reasons, I am pleased to have voted for passage of S. 254, 
the ``Violent and Repeat Juvenile Offender Accountability and 
Rehabilitation Act.'' I believe that many of the provisions within this 
legislation will hold violent juvenile offenders accountable for their 
actions and also integrate many young offenders back into their 
communities. We should all recognize that federal legislation is not a 
``silver bullet'' solution to the problem of youth violence, and that 
our response to this epidemic is only one aspect of nationwide efforts 
to reduce and prevent violent juvenile crime.
  Among its most significant provisions, this bipartisan legislation 
will provide assistance to Minnesota and other states to help develop 
local programs that hold young criminal offenders accountable for their 
actions, including such reforms as drug testing offenders upon arrest; 
implementing graduated sanction programs for repeat offenders; and 
building detention facilities for juvenile offenders. Equally 
important, states will also be empowered to prevent juvenile 
delinquency through initiatives such as one-on-one mentoring programs 
aimed toward at-risk juveniles and providing treatment for juveniles 
who suffer from substance abuse.
  Mr. President, this measure also addresses an area of increasing 
concern to communities in my home state of Minnesota--gang violence. 
Today, there are more than 12,000 gang members in Minnesota, the 
nation's tenth-highest level of gang participation.
  Throughout Minnesota, many communities have developed programs to 
stop the spread of gang activity, including the ``South Metro Gang and 
Youth Violence Project'' sponsored by Carver, Dakota and Scott 
counties. Among its achievements, this project has developed a 
computerized database to identify gang members, established a telephone 
hotline for graffiti removal, and formed the ``South Metro Gang Task 
Force,'' through which law enforcement agencies meet monthly to share 
information regarding gang activity in their jurisdictions. Through 
education, training and other community initiatives, this program has 
begun to tackle the threat of gang and youth violence.
  In my view, the federal government can supplement local anti-gang 
initiatives by vigorously enforcing federal laws designed to combat 
interstate gang crime. The anti-gang provisions within S. 254 will also 
help to deter gang involvement by imposing stiff penalties on anyone 
who recruits a minor to become a member of a criminal street gang, or 
who uses a minor to distribute illegal drugs or participate in crimes 
of violence--common activities of gangs. By imposing enhanced penalties 
on those who wear body armor during crimes and prohibiting violent 
felons from owning body armor, we will also help to protect the lives 
of law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line each day 
protecting our communities from the threat of gang violence.
  As someone who has always supported the important role of local 
communities in developing anti-crime strategies, I am pleased that the 
Senate modified this legislation to encourage the active role of State 
Advisory Groups (SAGs) as part of the juvenile justice system. I am 
hopeful that the conference report to this legislation will preserve 
the same level of responsibility for SAGs as provided under current 
law.
  In my home state, the Minnesota Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee 
(JJAC) is composed of twenty-two individuals appointed by the Governor, 
including local prosecutors, students, police chiefs, judges, and state 
agency personnel, representative of communities throughout Minnesota. 
In 1998, JJAC awarded more than $1 million in federal funds to 
community-based organizations, schools, Indian reservations, and local 
law enforcement agencies to help develop effective and innovative 
juvenile offender programs. Statewide, more than 40,000 youth and their 
families were served by local programs identified and evaluated by JJAC 
last year. I ask that a list of the Minnesota Juvenile Justice Advisory 
Committee membership and a letter to me from the JJAC Vice-Chair be 
included as part of the Record following my remarks.
  Mr. President, over the last several months, I have given careful 
thought to the aspects of our society that may contribute to incidents 
of juvenile crime, including the influence of the entertainment 
industry upon young people. My concerns are underscored by a recent e-
mail I received from Andrew Backenstross, a young Minnesotan and Boy 
Scout who is working on his Citizenship in the Nation merit badge in 
the community of White Bear Lake.
  Andrew wrote, ``All my teachers say that school should be a safe 
place to go and study. But Colorado and other places show us how 
exposed we are and that it could happen to us. Public schools need to 
be able to discipline or remove anyone who is not a threat or will not 
meet standards. Metal detectors, searches and police walking the halls 
is not the answer. That was not needed when my Dad went to school. 
People thought differently. We have to ask, what has changed? Maybe we 
are being conditioned for violence.

[[Page S7830]]

  ``My parents have taught me about standards, acceptable behavior and 
respect for myself and others. Maybe more help could be given to 
parents to be parents. Maybe if they didn't have to give so much of 
their income away in taxes they could afford to stay home and be 
parents.''

  In response to the concerns expressed by young people such as Andrew, 
and thousands of parents, I am pleased that the Senate bill encourages 
the entertainment industry to voluntarily establish guidelines to 
reduce violence in motion pictures, television programming, video 
games, and music lyrics. The bill also encourages Internet Service 
Providers (ISPs) to provide filtering software to consumers that could 
block juvenile access to unsuitable material. These provisions will 
provide parents with the tools needed to reduce their children's 
exposure to the culture of violence.
  Mr. President, there were several amendments offered to this 
legislation that would impose additional restrictions upon lawful 
Americans, without contributing to a reduction in juvenile crime. 
Throughout the debate over these proposals, I urged the Senate to 
promote greater enforcement of our existing firearms laws before 
passing new gun control measures that would infringe upon the 
constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. I am very concerned that 
prosecutions of those who violate federal firearms laws have been far 
less zealous than what the American people deserve and expect.
  According to the Executive Office of the United States Attorney, 
there were only eight prosecutions in 1998 of those who violated the 
federal prohibition on possessing a firearm in a school zone. From 1996 
through 1998, there was only one prosecution of felons who have been 
denied the purchase of firearms after being subjected to a background 
check. These statistics underscore the reality that passing new, 
expansive gun control laws will not prevent violent crime or the 
illegal use of firearms.
  As an alternative to far-reaching gun control proposals, I supported 
an amendment that encouraged the enforcement of existing gun laws, the 
rights of law-abiding citizens, and keeping firearms from children and 
criminals. This proposal provided $50 million to hire additional 
federal prosecutors to prosecute those who violate our gun laws; a 
prospective ban on juveniles convicted of violent offenses from ever 
owning a firearm; and enhanced penalties for juveniles who illegally 
bring a gun or ammunition to school with the intent of possessing or 
using the firearm to commit a violent crime.
  Additionally, this proposal requires all firearms transactions at gun 
shows to be subject to the National Instant Check System (NICS) without 
subjecting law-abiding purchasers to unnecessary fees or record-keeping 
requirements. Importantly, this provision preserves legitimate business 
transactions at gun shows while also addressing the public safety 
concerns of millions of Americans. In my view, this proposal was more 
reasonable than a more-restrictive proposal by Senator Lautenberg that 
was later passed by the Senate.
  Mr. President, I believe the Senate passage of this bill is an 
important contribution to the national response to youth violence. The 
106th Congress should seize the opportunity to pass meaningful and 
balanced legislation that will encourage local solutions to the complex 
problem of juvenile crime.

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