THE REAL CAUSE OF CRIME - AND REAL SOLUTIONS

  America fails to incarcerate violent criminals.  In 1960, 738
criminals were sent to prison for every 1,000 violent crimes, but
by 1980, the number of criminals sent to prison per 1,000 violent
crimes dropped to 227, and the crime rate tripled.  Over 60,000
criminals convicted of violent crime every year _ murder, rape,
robbery or aggravated assault _ are not sent to prison.  Of
America's 4.3 million convicted criminals, only 26% are in
prison.  The remaining 74% are serving "sentences" of parole or
probation, free on the streets.

  Since lower incarceration rates are mostly due to prison
overcrowding, CrimeStrike lobbied successfully to increase prison
capacity in Texas, Mississippi, Virginia and nearly tripled the
funds allocated for state prison construction in the 1994 Federal
Crime Bill.

  Criminals who are incarcerated are freed too early, serving on
average only one-third of their sentences.  The average time
served is:  for murder, 7.7 years; rape, 4.6 years; robbery 3.3
years; and aggravated assault,1.9 years.  Every day in America,
14 people will be murdered, 48 women raped and 578 robbed by
convicted criminals on parole or early release from prison.

  CrimeStrike helped win passage of Truth-In-Sentencing laws in
Arizona, Mississippi and Virginia, preventing early release by
requiring violent criminals to serve 85% of their sentences.
Additionally, CrimeStrike blocked the paroles of individual
murderers in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska,
New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas and West Virginia.

  Juvenile crime has reached crisis proportions: Between 1980 and
1990, the number of juveniles arrested for heroin/cocaine rose
713%. Over the last five years, juvenile gang killings increased
208%.   Yet only 1.5% of juvenile offenders were sent to adult or
criminal court in 1991 and, of those, 85.3% were not sent to
prison.

  CrimeStrike helped win passage of juvenile justice reform in
Arkansas and Mississippi, requiring violent juvenile criminals
who do "adult crime" to serve "adult time."

  Crime victims, or their survivors, are often treated as mere
witnesses in court, unfairly barred from participating in the
criminal justice process in any way.

  CrimeStrike worked for passage of Victims' Bill of Rights
proposals in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland,
Missouri and New Mexico.

  Repeat offenders are a serious threat to public safety.  The
average criminal commits 187-287 crimes a year, resulting in over
six million people becoming victims of violent crime _ murder,
rape, robbery or aggravated assault _ every year.

  CrimeStrike was instrumental in helping Washington State
Initiative 593, the nation's first "Three Strike, You're Out"
law, qualify for the ballot and then win passage by the largest
margin in state history.  CrimeStrike also provided grassroots
support for the California "Three Strikes" law, which also won at
the polls.
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