Elton Gallegly: “this amendment is really just a commonsense change in the legislation that would ensure that prison construction grants…”

“this amendment is really just a commonsense change in the legislation that would ensure that prison construction grants wind up in the areas that have the greatest need for them. As currently written, the legislation distributes these grants based solely on population and not on the violent crime rate. This amendment would change that, and allocate these funds to the areas that are facing the greatest challenge in terms of violent crime and in keeping violent criminals behind bars. H.R. 667 is designed to reduce crime in our communities by ensuring that we have enough room in our prisons to house the violent felons who belong there. Surely, it makes sense to base the level of funding to any one area on the level of violent crime occurring there. I think we all share the desire to make the most of these grants and to make the streets as safe as we possibly can through the prison construction they will support. It only makes sense to add prison capacity where a clear need has been established rather than simply as a virtue of how many live in any one State. Mr. Chairman, these grants are intended to help us fight violent crime by locking up violent criminals. They are not just another feel-good Government entitlement to be blindly doled out.”