http://www.democrats.org/news/danews/dan071800.html
Doug Henwood wrote:
> Tuesday July 18 8:49 AM ET
>
> Gore Seeks Crime Victims' Bill of Rights
>
> By Thomas Ferraro
>
> MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Al
> Gore (news - web sites) on Tuesday called for a constitutional
> amendment to create a bill of rights for crime victims.
>
> Complaining states now provide a patchwork of inadequate protections
> and that there are no comprehensive federal safeguards, Gore proposed
> a new shield to help victims obtain justice, compensation and even a
> measure of peace of mind.
>
> ``I am proposing a Crime Victims Bill of Rights -- so our justice
> system puts victims and families first,'' he said in remarks prepared
> for delivery at a campaign event at Rhodes College in Memphis,
> Tennessee.
>
> ``I'm not satisfied when accused criminals have all kinds of rights,
> but victims don't always have rights that are protected and
> guaranteed,'' the vice president said.
>
> Critics say that in many states offenders have more rights than
> victims, and that existing laws, besides being inadequate, are not
> fully enforced.
>
> In fact, victims are often not informed of legal proceedings, not
> invited to meet with prosecutors, not allowed to participate in
> sentencing and are not informed when their perpetrator is released
> from prison.
>
> Gore called for a constitutional amendment that would guarantee such
> notification, protection and participation.
>
> Focus On Crime
>
> Gore intends to focus his campaigning this week on crime,
> traditionally a top concern among voters and one that had been long
> dominated by so-called law-and-order Republicans.
>
> But Gore and President Clinton have helped seize the issue for
> Democrats since they took office in 1993 by contributing to reducing
> crime.
>
> In fact, the crime rate has decreased in each of the past seven
> years, while the U.S. economy has enjoyed record growth.
>
> A chief theme of Gore's White House campaign has been ''progress and
> prosperity,'' with the vice president saying the best way to keep the
> nation moving in the right direction is to elect him president over
> Republican rival George W. Bush (news - web sites).
>
> The Gore campaign is buoyed by new polls that show the vice president
> gaining on Bush or even in a virtual tie with the Texas governor, who
> had been leading for months.
>
> Gore said as president he would work with prosecutors, citizen groups
> and the Justice Department's Office of Victims' Rights to ensure that
> these rights are enforced and would increase the federal Crime
> Victims Fund.
>
> He said his measure would cost $685 million over 10 years, funded
> entirely out of the record federal surplus, now protected to hit $2.2
> trillion over 10 years.
>
> Gore, who arrived in Tennessee from Washington on Monday, planned to
> go to Kansas City later on Tuesday and then Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on
> Wednesday and Thursday.
>
> On Monday, Gore delivered a pep talk to more than 100 staff members
> and volunteers at his campaign headquarters in Nashville, and then
> attended a pair of fund-raisers in Memphis that raked in about
> $400,000 for the Democratic National Committee.