Elizabeth Furse: “I rise today to urge my colleagues to support the Chapman truth-in-sentencing amendment. The need to have violent…”

“I rise today to urge my colleagues to support the Chapman truth-in-sentencing amendment. The need to have violent criminals serve out their full term became tragically evident to me. In 1969 a man from my home State in Oregon embarked on a drug and alcohol binge which ended with the murder of two women, and he was sentenced to two life imprisonments, but unfortunately life does not mean life. He was recently released after serving 25 years, and just a few months after his release, he has been charged with the alleged rape of a 4-year-old girl. This man would have been in prison today, Mr. Chairman, if Oregon's truth-in-sentencing law had been enacted at the time of his conviction. It was not until 1989 that Oregon passed a truth-in-sentencing law. It is for 82 percent of the sentence, and the State department, Oregon State Department of Corrections, has reported it is successful. Let us assure that our prison space is used to keep violent criminals in prison. I urge that my colleagues support the Chapman amendment.”