FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          AG
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1997                       (202) 514-2008
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888

             STATEMENT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL JANET RENO
             ON THE 3rd ANNIVERSARY OF THE CRIME ACT

     
     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Attorney General Janet Reno today issued 
the following statement on the third anniversary of the signing 
of the Crime Act:
     

     "Three years ago this week, President Clinton signed the
toughest and most sensible crime bill in this nation's history. 
It had policing, prevention and punishment, and it is one of the
most important reasons that crime has been falling every year
since it was enacted. 

     In the past three years, we have funded more than 65,000
community police officers.  Thousands of these officers are
walking the beat and working with citizens, community leaders and
young people to fight crime and, indeed, to prevent it.

     And thanks to the Crime Act, we have strengthened our laws
and toughened our punishments, and in more instances made
sentences mean what they say.  "Three strikes" is the law of the
land, and we have given every state grants totaling more than
$600 million, to put more violent offenders behind bars, and to
create new facilities, appropriate facilities, for non-violent
offenders.

     The Crime Act is also helping us prevent crimes before they
occur.  One way to break the cycle of crime is to deal with the
issue by helping to support drug treatment programs for prisoners
who will eventually return to society.  In virtually every state,
we are helping to support such programs. It has made no sense to
me to see people go to prison for a serious crime, knowing that
they had a drug abuse problem, and taking no steps to intervene
at that point to interrupt that cycle of drug usage.

     We've also helped more than 250 cities and towns create drug
courts, with grants totaling more than $45 million.  The results:
drug courts have helped cut recidivism in cities like Austin, Los
Angeles and Baltimore.  

     Just last week I had the opportunity to see a drug court in
action in St. Louis, and can see the direct human impact and
difference it can make to so many people. 

     The Crime Bill is also preventing crime by fighting violence
against women.  We have paid out more than $275 million in grants
to develop and strengthen law enforcement and offer more victim
services, such as toll-free hotlines, emergency shelters and to
develop programs that can interrupt the cycle of domestic
violence.  I have long said that unless we really focus on how to
end violence in the home, we're never going to end it in the
streets and in the schools of America.

     So many Americans have seen crime fall in their
neighborhoods.  In fact, serious crime has declined every year
since the Crime Act was signed.  But we still have a long way to
go.  The Crime Act was the right thing to do then -- and it has
made a difference.  It is now important that we build on our
progress through continued cooperation with state and local
enforcement and through the development of prevention programs
that can give our youngsters a chance for a strong and positive
future."

                               ###

97-382