Herb Kohl: “this amendment puts the Senate on record in support of funding for programs that help young people stay off drugs and…”

“this amendment puts the Senate on record in support of funding for programs that help young people stay off drugs and avoid crime and violence. It also commits the Senate to evaluating all crime prevention and eliminating duplication of services among these programs. In short, this is a clear, concise statement that we support doing what works in preventing crime and we oppose bureaucratic duplication. This is a sensible approach to prevention that we think all Senators can support. While we work toward a balanced budget this week--a goal that I strongly support--we must not neglect our obligations to protect our citizens from crime. And as any law enforcement official will tell you, part of that fight must include efforts to help at-risk youth avoid a life of crime. It makes sense to support prisons and police because we must protect our communities. But we have clear evidence that many prevention efforts can and do turn young people around, reduce juvenile crime and delinquency, and stop crime in the first place. We should be supporting those efforts, too. While we should fund these effective measures, we should also gather more information on what works, so this amendment commits the Senate to supporting rigorous evaluation of existing prevention programs. And finally, we must do a better job of coordinating prevention programs, eliminating duplication, and streamlining the Federal bureaucracy.”