AS THE House and Senate meet in conference to reach a compromise on the Crime Bill, they are focusing on the two most widely debated provisions of the House version: the ban on various assault weapons and the Racial Justice Act, which allows the use of racial statistics to overturn death-penalty cases.
Less noticed but potentially far more significant is the Hughes Amendment, which could seriously affect the ability of state law-enforcement officials to reduce crime. Offered by New Jersey Congressman William Hughes, the provision puts state corrections under the virtual control of bureaucrats at the Justice Department and discourages states from keeping violent criminals behind bars.
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