[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 39 (Thursday, March 5, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E561-E562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    NATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 4, 2009

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
this resolution raising awareness about the criminal justice system and 
crime awareness month. I urge my colleagues to support this important 
bill.
  I find it tragic that approximately three million Americans are 
employed within the justice system. Approximately seven million adults 
are on probation, parole, or are incarcerated. Many more millions of 
Americans have been victims of crime and, consequently, lost income, 
incurred medical expenses, and suffered emotionally.
  To be sure there is a high 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. It is because of this that I have authored innovative 
legislation aimed at addressing these problems. For example, in the 
110th Congress and again in the 111th Congress, I sponsored the Drug 
Sentencing Reform and Cocaine Kingpin Trafficking Act of 2009 which 
addresses the disparity between crack and powder cocaine. The bill is 
presently numbered H.R. 265.
  I also authored H.R. 61, Federal Prison Bureau Nonviolent Offender 
Relief Act of 2009. Importantly, this bill amends the federal criminal 
code to direct the Bureau of Prisons to release prisoners who (1) 
served one half or more of his or her term of imprisonment, (2) 
obtained at least the age of 45; (3) has never been convicted of a 
crime of violence; and (4) has not engaged in any violation of 
institutional disciplinary regulations.
  These two pieces of legislation will go far in addressing the 
problems in the criminal justice system and will go far in educating 
the masses of Americans about the criminal justice system. 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. My bills if passed will decrease 
the amount of money spent on protecting communities and the warehousing 
of prisoners in the industrial prison complex.
  More work needs to be done by Members of Congress. 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.
  What is astonishing is that 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.
  The reality is that crime rates have dropped since the early 1990s, 
but most Americans believe that the rate of crime is increasing. Let me 
share some alarming statistics regarding crime in Houston.

                      Crime Statistics In Houston

       According to Houston Police Department statistics:

[[Page E562]]

                             Violent crimes

       Violent crimes in Houston increased less than 1 percent in 
     2008 compared with 2007.
       Homicides dropped by 16 percent.
       The number of homicides dropped from 353 in 2007 to 295 
     last year.
       Sexual assaults increased more than 8 percent from 2007.
       Aggravated assaults increased at 9.1 percent.


                           Domestic violence

       Of the 1,092 additional aggravated assault cases in 2008, 
     more than half were reports of domestic violence.


                           Nonviolent crimes

       Nonviolent crimes declined more than 10 percent in 2008.
       Property dropped by more than 10 percent.
       Auto thefts decreased last year, dropping more than 21 
     percent to 15,214, down from 19,465 in 2007.

  The bills that I authored are intended to make America a better, 
fairer place, and are intended to assist families and the incarcerated. 
They are smart bills that are aimed at making America a safer place and 
are aimed at lessening the expense of warehousing prisoners and the 
indiscriminate locking up of prisoners. I urge my colleagues to support 
this resolution and the bills that I sponsored.

                          ____________________