Eva M. Clayton: “I support the Scott amendment basically because it questions the blind drive without further study toward incarceration…”

“I support the Scott amendment basically because it questions the blind drive without further study toward incarceration over prevention. Why should we not spend a small amount of money to determine the effectiveness of incarceration? The bill assumes a government block grant, H.R. 728, will pass next week, and so therefore if it passes it will have an opportunity to eliminate many of the programs that will help policing and community prevention. I support community policing and prevention programs and therefore I certainly intend to vote against that bill. But at least we should, fiscal responsibility would say we should set aside a small amount to determine if we are spending all of this money in the right way and to what extent it is being effective. Therefore, State and local governments that have been very supportive with community policing and having resources to prevent crime will find they will be far more vulnerable if the block grants pass and assuming they will be most vulnerable, the likely community policing and technology that should there will not be available. This simply gives an opportunity to study the effectiveness of incarceration. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.”