5. PERSONAL SECURITY: CRIME, ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, AND DRUG CONTROL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The first duty of any government is to try to keep its citizens safe, but clearly, too many Americans are not safe today. We no longer have the freedom from fear for all our citizens that is essential to security and prosperity. President Bill Clinton August 1993 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The 1995 budget marks a new beginning in America's fight against crime, illegal immigration, and drugs. It holds the line on the growth of our Federal crime control bureaucracy, invests in the communities and the people most affected by crime and drugs, and commits the resources required to ensure that violent criminals and serious drug traffickers serve stiff sentences behind bars. It proposes initiatives to put more police on our streets, provides innovative programs to prevent non-violent first-time offenders from becoming hardened criminals, and attacks hard-core drug use directly and with substantial new spending for treatment programs. The 1995 budget, together with the provisions and funding offered by the pending Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, will begin the shift in emphasis from a wholly Federal response to a response which empowers States and communities to fight crime and drug abuse locally. Finally, the budget will significantly improve border security and will upgrade efforts to restrain illegal immigration. CONTROLLING CRIME Table 5-1. ASSISTANCE TO STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT GROWS SIGNIFICANTLY (Discretionary budget authority; dollar amounts in billions) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dollar Percent 1990 1993 1994 1995 Change: Change: Actual Actual Enacted Proposed 1994 to 1994 to 1995 1995 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Law Enforcement. 5.2 7.1 7.1 7.3 +0.1 +2% Litigative and Judicial....... 3.8 4.8 5.1 5.6 +0.5 +11% Corrections..... 2.6 1.9 2.2 2.6 +0.4 +17% State and Local Assistance..... 0.8 0.8 0.7 2.8 +2.1 +304% ---------------------------------------------------- Total Fighting Crime......... 12.4 14.6 15.1 18.3 +3.2 +21% ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Administration's request to control crime in 1995 is $18.3 billion, an increase of $3.2 billion or 21 percent over 1994. As Chart 5-1 shows, the largest share of the proposed increase for controlling crime goes to assist State and local law enforcement. This contrasts with recent years, in which State and local assistance has been essentially static. Identifying A New Strategy The President has often referred to the damaging effect of violent crime on our society and has pledged to support tough new laws that put violent criminals behind bars. Reducing violent crime must therefore be among our highest priorities, especially reducing its appalling increase among our youth. It is a tragedy both for its victims and its perpetrators. The Federal Government has traditionally responded to a growing public awareness of violent crime by expanding its law enforcement role. But even our expanded Federal law enforcement infrastructure must be put in perspective. Federal spending accounts for only about 10 percent of all law enforcement resources. It is State and local governments that have always played the central role in controlling crime, particularly violent crime. There are, however, crime control functions that should be performed by the Federal Government. Federal law enforcement agencies are required to enforce laws that are peculiarly within Federal jurisdiction, such as forgery and espionage; are best positioned to encourage cooperation among State and local governments; and can act cooperatively with foreign governments to curb the spread of drug-related and organized crime. The Federal Government is also best able to collect national crime statistics and disseminate crime control information. Federal resources help to develop and promote new technologies to improve law enforcement. Federal crime databases, fingerprint facilities, DNA testing laboratories, and other technical and training facilities serve local law enforcement as well as Federal needs. Most important, only the Federal Government can articulate a national strategy for controlling crime--a strategy that recognizes that most crime fighting is done at the local level and puts resources in the hands of local law enforcement. Where We Are in the Fight Against Crime The Federal Government uses two sources of data to track the level of violence in our society: a compilation of crime information reported to police and surveys asking the public whether they have been victims of particular types of crime. When compared, these data suggest that while the rates of homicide, aggravated assault, robbery, and rape per 100,000 residents appear to have remained stable in recent years, the number of violent crimes and murders reported has reached intolerable levels. Chart 5-1 shows the homicide rate and the growth in Federal, State, and local spending for police, jails, and prisons. While real spending has increased four times in constant dollars, the homicide rate has remained at roughly historical levels. This suggests that we need to consider new strategies to reduce violent crime, strategies that will improve the effectiveness of these resources. Insert chart: CHART5_1 While the overall rate of violent crime in American society has remained stable in recent years, its nature has changed dramatically. It has become increasingly concentrated among our youth, particularly young males. Between 1971 and 1991, the percentage of homicide victims ages 15 to 24 rose by 24 percent, while the rate of homicide committed by young men, ages 14 to 17, more than doubled. Violence has become especially tragic for young African-American males. Between 1985 and 1990, the likelihood of a black male between the ages of 20 and 24 being killed almost doubled. For black males, ages 15 through 19, it more than doubled. Virtually all of the increase in homicides for these age groups was attributable to firearms. Growth in Federal Prison Population For decades, Federal and State governments have sought to remove violent offenders and major drug traffickers from the society they prey upon. The level of resources devoted to our Federal prison system reflect this commitment and has made prison spending a growing portion of our total law enforcement budget. Federal prison system funding has grown from roughly $600 million in 1986 to over $2.2 billion in 1994. It is estimated that the current system will need to accommodate a net increase of 7,000 inmates in each of the next five years. To address prison population growth, the 1995 budget request is $2.6 billion for the Bureau of Prisons, an increase of almost $400 million, or 17 percent over 1994. Stronger laws will shut down the revolving door of law enforcement. In the future, if you commit violent crime, you will do the time. Controlling Violent Crime--A New Direction Insert chart: CHART5_2 The Administration's strategy for controlling violent crime takes a new direction by focusing on the need to put Federal resources to work supporting local law enforcement, rather than by simply expanding Federal involvement in local crime fighting. As shown in Table 5-1, discretionary Federal crime control spending will grow by $3.2 billion, or 21 percent, from 1994 to 1995. Not only is this increase greater than the growth rate of prior years, but it also reflects a new direction. In previous years, almost all budget increases were for Federal law enforcement agencies, e.g., the FBI, U.S. Attorneys, and the Bureau of Prisons. While these bureaus will receive funding increases in 1995, the majority of additional funding will be for grants to States and localities. This will help State and local criminal justice systems perform their function as the primary agents of law enforcement. Table 5-2. MAJOR CRIME CONTROL INITIATIVES (Increased budget authority in millions of dollars) -------------------------------------------------- New Police Officers........................ 1,720 Criminal Records Upgrade (Brady Bill)...... 100 Juvenile Crime Prevention.................. 69 ----- Total.................................... 1,889 -------------------------------------------------- Adding 100,000 New Police Officers One of the cornerstones of the President's program to combat crime, particularly violent crime in our urban communities, is increasing the number of police officers on our streets. For 1995, $1.7 billion in new funding is requested to provide State and local grants to begin hiring these officers. These grants will assist States and localities in establishing community policing programs across the Nation. A total of $6 billion more will be provided for 1996-1999 to ensure that as many as 100,000 new police officers are added to the State and local police rolls. This program will ultimately increase the number of police officers by over 15 percent. The 1995 budget proposes to eliminate the formula portion of the Byrne drug law enforcement grant program. While saving over $300 million, this funding will be replaced in large part by the President's new community policing initiative and various other new grant programs supporting State and local law enforcement authorized by the pending House- and Senate-passed crime bills. Also, the budget proposes an increase of $50 million for the discretionary portion of the Byrne grant program, effectively doubling those projects that target specific needs. Implementing the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act The recently enacted Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act requires a five-day waiting period for the purchase of a handgun and a criminal records check of potential purchasers. This Act will make America's neighborhoods safer by limiting access to guns for felons and those psychologically unable to use handguns responsibly. The 1995 budget provides $100 million for grants to States to improve their criminal records identification systems, facilitate records checks, and fund the FBI's national instant record check system. Within a few years, this system will allow the immediate processing of criminal records information. Upgrading Gun Licensing Procedures The Administration is taking steps to ensure compliance with gun dealer licensing requirements. The 1995 budget includes nearly $6 million to fund a number of new initiatives to ensure that the President's commitment is realized. First, over $2 million is requested for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) to obtain more information from dealer license applicants, including fingerprints and photographic identification. This information will help ensure that only authorized gun dealers receive licenses. Second, over $2 million is requested to automate multiple handgun sales reports and to enhance firearms enforcement databases. These steps will increase BATF's ability to access additional databases to trace firearms used in the commission of crimes. Third, over $1 million is requested to automate the records of gun dealers who have gone out of business, thereby expediting the tracing of firearms used in illegal activities. In addition, the Administration will address the proliferation of Federally licensed gun dealers. Currently, there are over 280,000 gun dealers paying a license fee of $66 a year, though it costs the taxpayer about $600 each year to award the license. Before the President signed the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, a license had cost only $10 a year. As part of this budget, the President will submit a legislative proposal that the licensing fee for Federal firearms dealers be increased to $600 annually. This increase could eliminate up to 200,000 gun dealers and will end the taxpayer subsidization of the gun business. Improving Law Enforcement Technology The 1995 budget requests $93 million to support the FBI's Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). IAFIS will be a rapid response, paperless system that will receive and process electronic fingerprint images, criminal histories, and related data on convicted felons. The system will be a major new component of our national law enforcement information system. This system, coupled with the FBI's DNA identification program and improved wiretap technology, will provide the Nation's law enforcement community with the most effective law enforcement technology available. Targeting Juvenile Crime Through Prevention Strategies Violent juvenile crime has increased sharply during the last decade. In response the 1995 budget proposes $172 million in grants to aid in the prevention and reduction of juvenile crime and the treatment of youthful offenders. This request is $69 million above 1994 levels and builds upon strategies to strengthen the family, support core community institutions in their work with youth, emphasize the prevention of delinquency and gang-related activity, and control violent youth. Passing Effective Crime Control Legislation Several important crime control initiatives are funded contingent upon enactment of a strong crime bill, such as that passed by the Senate. During the past year, the Administration has worked with the Congress to develop a comprehensive crime bill that will provide much needed relief in the fight against crime. The Senate bill includes a number of initiatives strongly supported by the Administration, including grants for community policing, boot camps and drug courts for youthful and non-violent offenders, as well as drug treatment in prisons and jails. The Administration also supports a ban on semi-automatic firearms; limitations on access to handguns by juveniles; and the creation of a crime control fund to pay for eligible crime control initiatives. The Administration will continue to work for the earliest possible passage of a crime bill. The Administration is specifically requesting that the fund support the community policing initiative which would put 100,000 new police officers on the street, the criminal records upgrade program authorized in the Brady Bill, and several of the immigration control initiatives described below. Allocation of the remaining spending from the Fund will await final Congressional action on crime legislation. Other types of activities that will be supported by the Administration include programs like boot camps and drug courts, which are described below. Table 5-3. LAW ENFORCEMENT SPENDING BY AGENCY (Discretionary budget authority; dollar amounts in billions) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dollar Percent 1990 1993 1994 1995 Change: Change: Actual Actual Enacted Proposed 1994 to 1994 to 1995 1995 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crime Control Fund....... ....... ....... ....... 2.4 +2.4 N/A Bureau of Prisons........ 2.6 1.9 2.2 2.6 +0.4 +17% Drug Enforcement Administration.......... 0.5 0.7 0.7 0.7 +* +* Federal Bureau of Investigation........... 1.7 1.9 2.0 2.1 +0.1 +5% Immigration and Naturalization Service.. 0.8 1.0 1.1 1.1 +0.1 +9% General Legal Activities. 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.4 +* +6% U.S. Attorneys........... 0.5 0.8 0.8 0.8 +* +1% U.S. Customs............. 1.3 1.5 1.5 1.5 +* +1% Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms... 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.4 +* +2% U.S. Secret Service...... 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.5 +* +2% Judiciary................ 1.6 2.4 2.6 2.9 +0.3 +13% All Other Law Enforcement 2.4 3.2 3.1 2.8 -0.2 -8% ---------------------------------------------------- Total Crime Control.... 12.4 14.6 15.1 18.3 +3.2 +21% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Less than $50 million. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMPROVING BORDER SECURITY AND CONTROLLING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION Illegal immigration is a continuing problem which threatens this country's immigrant traditions and reduces the ability of State and local governments to provide quality human services. The public has lost confidence in the Federal Government's ability to handle this problem. It is, therefore, imperative that the Federal Government take its responsibility for controlling the border seriously. In order to maintain fiscal and economic security, and turn the rising tide of negative sentiment against all immigrants, the Federal Government must take aggressive measures to secure the border and curb illegal immigration. This Administration pledges to continue its leadership in finding solutions to this important and controversial problem. The President's goal for reforming the immigration system is straightforward: rebuild and revitalize the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), the agency which has primary responsibility for immigration control. Table 5-4. MORE SPENDING REQUESTED TO COUNTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION (Budget authority; dollar amounts in billions) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dollar Percent 1990 1993 1994 1995 Change: Change: Actual Actual Enacted Proposed 1994 to 1994 to 1995 1995 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Immigration and Naturalization Service (includes Crime Control Fund and mandatory funding)................ 1.2 1.6 1.7 2.1 +0.4 +22% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The 1995 budget proposes $2.1 billion for the INS. This represents a 22 percent increase over its 1994 level. The Administration's 1995 Border Security and Illegal Immigration Control initiative will cost $368 million, which includes an investment of $327 million for critical immigration control programs and $41 million for other Justice bureaus to support INS activities. Pressing Immigration Problems--The President's Border Security and Illegal Immigration Control Plan Approximately 3.2 million undocumented persons currently live in our communities. The INS estimates that this population increases by almost 300,000 illegal aliens annually. The majority of these illegal migrants enter through the Southwest border. Past attempts to curb illegal immigration have had limited success. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), which included employer sanctions, was intended to reduce the attraction of employment in this Nation for illegal migrants. The Act also authorized substantial increases in Border Patrol strength to prevent unauthorized entry. However, these and other well-intentioned enforcement measures have not been forcefully implemented. In large part, the INS has lacked the leadership and resources to fulfill its missions. The President has a comprehensive plan which will "reinvent" the INS so that it can solve its problems and produce visible results. This past summer the President sought new authority to control illegal immigration. He asked for: o $45 million and up to 600 agents to deter illegal entry across the border; o $45 million to fully upgrade visa processing technology to exclude terrorists and other ineligible aliens; The President also proposed: o legislation to exclude and remove fraudulent asylum seekers who attempt illegal entry through air, sea, and land ports; and o legislation to toughen criminal penalties for convicted smugglers of aliens. Table 5-5. INITIATIVES IN THE PRESIDENT'S BORDER SECURITY AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CONTROL PLAN (Increased budget authority in millions of dollars) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Border Control................................................. 181 Expedited Deportation (for criminal aliens).................... 55 Asylum Reform and Deportation (for those denied asylum)........ 64 Increased Enforcement (employer sanctions)..................... 38 Promote Naturalization (for eligible aliens)................... 30 ----- Total........................................................ 368 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Increasing Border Controls The border control initiative requires $181 million to strengthen our ability to apprehend and return illegal aliens to their country of origin. This prevention strategy provides necessary resources for the Border Patrol to take better command of the current illegal flow. The success of the pilot Special Operation in El Paso is exemplary of this targeted approach. More agents will provide a visible presence at high-risk border areas to deter illegal entry. This initiative also contains a significant technology enhancement that will enable most of the INS components to analyze intelligence, dismantle alien smuggling operations, and reduce illegal immigration generally. With the proper combination of sophisticated technology and people, the INS should be able to reduce illegal entry more effectively and regulate border admissions fairly and efficiently. As another part of this initiative, significant resources will be devoted to upgrading the capability of the INS to communicate electronically with the State Department and other Government agencies so that it can control admissions at ports of entry more effectively. In addition, with implementation of the Administration's plan to improve management coordination between the INS and the Customs Service (a National Performance Review recommendation) we can more effectively reduce illegal alien and drug entries. Deporting Criminal Aliens Foreign-born nationals represent approximately 11 percent of the inmate population in the five largest immigration-affected states and 25 percent of the Federal inmate population. Those foreign-born non-resident aliens who have committed aggravated felonies are subject to deportation. However, many illegal immigrants who are convicted felons are released into local communities. This problem is intolerable and the Administration is committed to removing these deportable criminal aliens as expeditiously as possible. This budget includes $55 million to enable the INS to deport up to 20,000 more criminal aliens annually, once fully operational. Reforming Asylum and Deporting Fraudulent Applicants The 1995 budget requests $64 million to implement the President's pledge to reform the asylum system. This proposal will complement the Justice Department's efforts to streamline asylum procedures. It will more than double the capability of asylum officers, immigration judges, and attorneys to handle the backlogged cases as well as the significant number of new cases received annually. The current, overwhelmed asylum system has no prospects for adjudicating these cases in a timely fashion. As a result, virtually anyone who applies for asylum receives work authorization, while the case is pending. The asylum system is increasingly vulnerable to abuse by ineligible applicants. Enactment of the Administration's reform proposal will permit deportation of those fraudulent applicants whose cases are adjudicated and denied. Implementing Employer Sanctions and Anti-Discrimination Laws The budget proposes $38 million to enforce the employer sanctions and anti-discrimination provisions of existing law. This is almost double what is currently spent on this activity. Sanctions will discourage the illegal employment of undocumented aliens, thus reducing the U.S. employment "magnet effect." The INS will increase investigation and prosecution of fraudulent document vendors who undermine the effectiveness of employer sanctions. The INS will conduct a national campaign to investigate industries that have been the worst violators of the sanctions law. In addition, the budget provides resources to streamline the employment document verification process. Government must be sensitive to the civil rights of employees. Reducing discrimination against citizens and legal aliens and protecting their rights are integral parts of this initiative. Resources will be available to provide grants to community-based organizations for anti-discrimination education. In addition, the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices will expand its efforts to prosecute those employers who discriminate against "foreign-sounding" and "foreign-looking" individuals in the hiring process. Promoting Naturalization Benefits Finally, the President's comprehensive plan calls for $30 million to increase the naturalization of eligible immigrants. The majority of immigrants do not naturalize when eligible. Within the next several years, about three million people will become eligible for citizenship. There are potentially five million other legal aliens who have immigrated to the United States since 1965, but have not taken advantage of naturalization benefits. This initiative will bolster the integration of newcomers into society and help counteract anti-immigrant sentiment. With these new resources, the INS will ensure that the naturalization benefits are provided correctly, courteously, and compassionately to all persons eligible. Furthermore, the INS will distribute grants for the first time to community-based and educational organizations to assist applicants in completing the applications, instruct them in civics and language proficiency, and conduct certified testing on behalf of the INS. These investments in the immigration system will increase the security of our borders against the detrimental effects of illegal immigration. This 1995 budget is an important step forward in the President's efforts to pursue an aggressive and comprehensive immigration control program. CONTROLLING ILLICIT DRUG ABUSE The cost of illicit drug use in America is staggering, both in economic and human terms. It destroys the lives and futures of thousands of Americans, breeds crime and corruption worldwide, and facilitates the spread of AIDS and other deadly diseases. It also costs our economy an estimated $67 billion in direct costs and lost productivity each year.\1\ The Nation's fight to eliminate illicit drugs focuses on two areas: reducing demand for illicit drugs by providing treatment and prevention services to the users and potential users of illicit drugs; and reducing the supply of available drugs through domestic law enforcement, border enforcement, and international cooperation. The Administration's National Drug Control Strategy provides the details of how this Nation can respond to the imperative of reducing illicit drug use in America. The Strategy's demand reduction formula is straightforward: reduce drug use by focusing on eliminating hard-core drug use; rebuild communities ravaged by drug use and drug-related crime; and deliver a consistent and continuing prevention message to our youth both in and out of schools. The strategy's approach to supply reduction is to increase community police presence, focus Federal law enforcement efforts on large drug trafficking organizations, and provide assistance to fight drugs in source countries. Table 5-6. TREATMENT AND PREVENTION SPENDING SHOW GREATEST GROWTH (Budget authority; dollar amounts in billions) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dollar Percent 1990 1993 1994 1995 Change: Change: Actual Actual Enacted Proposed 1994 to 1994 to 1995 1995 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Treatment....... 1.6 2.3 2.5 2.9 +0.4 +14% Prevention and Education...... 1.2 1.5 1.6 2.1 +0.4 +28% Criminal Justice 4.2 5.7 5.7 5.9 +0.2 +4% Interdiction.... 1.8 1.5 1.3 1.2 -0.1 -7% International... 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.4 +0.1 +22% Intelligence and Research....... 0.4 0.6 0.7 0.7 +* +4% ---------------------------------------------------- Total......... 9.7 12.1 12.1 13.2 +1.0 +9% Supply Reduction 6.6 7.9 7.6 7.8 +0.2 +3% 68% 65% 63% 59% Demand Reduction 3.2 4.4 4.5 5.4 +0.8 +18% 32% 35% 37% 41% ---------------------------------------------------------------------- *Less than $50 million. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Administration's 1995 drug control budget requests $13.2 billion, an increase of $1.0 billion, or 9 percent more than in 1994. This budget departs from former spending plans by placing new emphasis on drug treatment and prevention programs, while keeping most drug law enforcement spending relatively constant. Chart 5-3 shows the relationships of selected categories of drug control funding. By emphasizing growth of treatment and prevention programs, the 1995 drug budget defines a new role for the Federal Government and significantly changes how the Nation deals with illicit drug use. Insert chart: CHART5_3 Table 5-7. MAJOR INITIATIVES IN THE NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL STRATEGY (Increased budget authority in millions of dollars) -------------------------------------------------- Hard-Core Drug Treatment................... 355 Safe and Drug Free Schools................. 172 Community Policing......................... 568 International/Source Countries............. 76 ----- Total.................................... 1,171 -------------------------------------------------- Improving and Targeting Drug Treatment The 1995 drug control budget requests over $2.9 billion to treat drug abuse, an increase of $360 million, or 14 percent over 1994. It is estimated that the Nation will have the capacity to treat approximately 1.4 million addicts in 1994. Investing in treatment makes good public policy and good economic sense. Of the approximately one million persons infected with HIV, about one third were infected as a result of injection drug use, at a cost of $85,000 to $150,000 per patient for medical services.\2\ When compared with an average cost of treating drug users of $5,000 to $12,000 per patient, drug treatment can be significantly more cost effective. By every standard, it is far cheaper to treat drug users and return them to a productive life than to pay for the health and crime expense resulting from their drug abuse. The Administration is requesting funding for several initiatives that implement programs for expanding treatment: o Targeting the Hard-Core User.--The budget requests $355 million for new grants to treat hard-core drug users. A total of $310 million in Health and Human Services treatment grant funds will be augmented with $45 million from the Office of National Drug Control Policy's Special Forfeiture Fund. These funds will go to those most in need and the hardest to reach. While treating this hard-core population presents serious difficulties, no comprehensive effort to fight drug abuse can succeed without reaching those who are costliest to society, have suffered the longest, and are the hardest to help. o Treating Incarcerated Addicts.--Over 200,000 drug addicts enter U.S. correctional facilities each year. Many of these addicts are released without receiving drug treatment. Nearly 80 percent of those leaving such institutions become repeat offenders and return to the prison system. This revolving door can be shut down, in part, through in-prison programs to treat prisoners before release and by providing transitional treatment services after release. To this end, the Bureau of Prisons will spend $22 million for prison treatment programs, and the Department of Health and Human Services grants for jail-based treatment programs will provide $39 million for such programs. Jail-based programs have proven particularly useful in motivating prisoner involvement in treatment by separating them from the general population at the same time offering treatment, counseling, and early release options. Providing Help For Non-Violent Drug Offenders The pending Violent Crime Control and Enforcement Act of 1993 is likely to authorize promising, innovative programs which offer ways to help non-violent youthful drug offenders. If authorized, programs such as the following will be supported: o Boot Camps For Youthful Offenders.--Boot Camps have demonstrated that they can work for a select group of non-violent offenders. Such programs offer rigorous discipline, physical conditioning, job training, and education. Typical jail sentences for drug offenders average five years, while successful participants often leave boot camps after six months. o Drug Courts Provide An Alternative To Incarceration.--Drug Courts offer an alternative to costly litigation and incarceration of non-violent drug offenders. They provide treatment, testing, and counseling services for arrestees in lieu of trial and incarceration. Participants who comply with court mandates and pass periodic drug tests avoid a trial and incarceration, while saving courts and penal systems significant time and expense. Those who don't, return to serve their sentence. Building Community-Based Prevention The 1995 drug control budget provides $2.1 billion for drug prevention programs, an increase of $448 million over 1994. Prevention programs have proven successful in reducing casual drug use, but recent Monitoring The Future Survey statistics suggest that continued efforts are needed.\3\ o Community Policing As Drug Prevention.--Approximately $285 million of the 1995 community policing initiative described earlier is attributed to drug abuse prevention. Such community law enforcement efforts that place "cops on the streets." These programs can help to reduce both the supply and demand for illegal drugs; they can help close down open-air drug markets, while also helping to identify hard-core drug users in need of treatment. They can also increase public awareness, improve community pride, and foster community involvement. o Safe and Drug-Free Schools.--The 1995 drug budget requests $660 million, or $172 million more than 1994, for Federal activities and grants to States for programs supporting the prevention of drug-related crime and violence in our schools as well as comprehensive drug prevention education and services for school children. These programs are the foundation of our Nation's drug prevention effort. They provide teacher training and curriculum development that allow for the integration of drug resistance training into school life; student assistance programs that offer drug-free activities; and security services to address weapon and drug-related security problems on school grounds. Changing Direction of Drug Law Enforcement The 1995 drug control budget request for domestic drug law enforcement is $5.9 billion, an increase of $225 million, or four percent over 1994. It keeps spending on Federal law enforcement constant and increases resources for corrections and grants to States and localities. The drug law enforcement budget reflects a change in emphasis from a growing Federal presence towards a policy centered on community-based enforcement. This policy defines the Federal role in terms of providing leadership and training, fostering inter-governmental cooperation, and providing incentives to States and localities to adopt innovative drug control methods. o Community Policing As Drug Law Enforcement.--An additional $285 million is attributed to the community policing initiative. The presence of new police officers on the streets of high crime and drug areas should significantly deter street drug crime, and help solve long-term drug crime problems. o High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA).--The 1995 drug control budget requests $98 million for the HIDTA program, an increase of $12 million, or 15 percent over 1994. This reflects the addition of one new metropolitan area to the list of HIDTAs, bringing the total to six. These areas receive resources specifically targeted to dismantling large drug trafficking organizations and the reduction of hard-core drug use, which is one of the HIDTA operating objectives. Controlling The Flow of Drugs The 1995 drug control budget requests $1.2 billion for drug interdiction, $94 million less, or 7 percent below 1994. This saving is due to a shift in emphasis from counter-drug operations in the vast transit zones to host country operations. Other savings will come from a consolidation of intelligence gathering facilities. Since 1993, spending for drug interdiction has declined by almost $300 million, reflecting the growing realization that the best long-term approach to reducing the flow of drugs across our borders is to reduce the demand for drugs within our borders. Care has been taken to ensure that our capabilities remain available should cultivation, production, or trafficker activity require a change in our level of response. Savings have resulted from proposing the consolidation of certain Customs/Coast Guard intelligence centers and Department of Defense interdiction command and control facilities. In part, better use of intelligence has enabled the Coast Guard to reduce the size of its patrolling effort, and the Customs Service to reduce the size of its air and marine assets. Improving International Cooperation. The 1995 budget requests $428 million for international drug programs, an increase of $76 million, or 22 percent more than in 1994. This reduced level of effort is consistent with the Administration's decision to shift emphasis from interdiction efforts in the transit zones to assisting host countries. Assistance programs provide support for conducting law enforcement activities, building judicial and other necessary institutions, and creating an economic and social environment that supports alternatives to drug cultivation and trafficking. The cocaine cartels of South America have the capacity to produce 1,000 metric tons of cocaine annually--virtually the entire world's supply. Their wealth fuels corruption that threatens the existence of democratic institutions throughout the region. International drug control efforts, funded by the Department of State and supported by in-country anti-drug operations, provide law enforcement training and economic assistance to foreign governments in efforts to resist the influence of drug trafficking cartels. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\Rice, D.P., Unpublished Data, Institute for Health and Aging, University of California at San Francisco; cited in Substance Abuse: The Nations's Number One Health Problem, Key Indicators for Policy, prepared for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Princeton, New Jersey, October, 1993, p. 16. \2\Department of Health and Human Services. Surgeon General's Report to the American Public on HIV Infection and AIDS (Washington, D.C.: GPO), 1993. \3\The Monitoring The Future (MTF) Survey shows an increase in drug use. The MTF Survey found that illicit drug use is up with marijuana, stimulants, inhalants, and hallucinogens presenting the largest increase. ----------------------------------------------------------------------