James Traficant: “in this bill, in section 503(b)(2), it would require that the sentencing and releasing authorities notify and allow the…”

“in this bill, in section 503(b)(2), it would require that the sentencing and releasing authorities notify and allow the victims of the defendant or the families of such victims the opportunity to appear before those authorities and give reasons why they should not be released. I do not oppose that. But I am offering an amendment that was printed in the Record, although it was not printed in the guide for the Members. It says this: There are individuals who get convicted, for example, on a drug offense, and when they are convicted, they look at the victim who turned the evidence--it might have been somebody who helped get the conviction, somebody who got immunity--and they say, ``When I get out of here, I'm going to hurt you.'' The Traficant amendment says that the releasing authorities shall upon release notify the families of the victims and the victims and the convicting court that that felon is going to be released. We have many cases where individuals who have been convicted by the testimony of witnesses say to those witnesses, ``I'm going to hurt you,'' and they come back and they hurt those witnesses or those individuals who helped with that conviction.”