Political Quotes

“I rise in support of the Canady/Geren amendment because I've seen close to home how court orders designed to limit prison populations can have perverse and disastrous results. In 1989, a Federal district judge issued an order placing a ceiling on the population of inmates at the county jails in Essex County, NJ. When the population rose above that cap, the county had to post bail for prisoners, using taxpayer dollars for their bond. The court order created a nightmare. Of the 3,852 defendants who were released courtesy of the bail fund, 66 percent either committed a crime while on bail or jumped bail; 273 of them were arrested for violent crimes--11 for murder. Court orders of this sort destroy the credibility of the criminal justice system. I urge my colleagues to support the Canady/Geren amendment by voting for the en bloc amendment.”