William Hughes: “I rise in opposition to the latest version of McCollum, and I think the latest version of McCollum is worse than the…”

“I rise in opposition to the latest version of McCollum, and I think the latest version of McCollum is worse than the first version of McCollum, and I will tell my colleagues why. Mr. Chairman, under the McCollum amendment States would not be eligible for any of the grant money unless they have complied with mandates that are contained in McCollum, and I just pick out the one, that individuals who are second-time violent offenders must serve 85 percent of their sentence. Well, the problem is not only with second-time offenders, but it is with first-time offenders. The gentleman's amendment only deals with second-time violent offenders, and any State that does not incarcerate 85 percent of the sentence they receive as second-time violent offenders get no money. If your State, like Utah, sees violent offenders serving 84 percent of their sentence, they are ineligible under McCollum. McCollum does not do anything about one of the major problems throughout this country, and that is inadequate sentences. McCollum does nothing about sentences that are too short. Eighty-five percent of an inadequate sentence is very inadequate, I would say.…”