Pubdate: Wed, 03 May 2000
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Copyright: 2000 San Francisco Chronicle
Contact:  http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Forum: http://www.sfgate.com/conferences/
Author: Ron Fournier, AP

GORE OFFERS PLAN TO KEEP INMATES FREE FROM DRUGS

He And Bush Accuse Each Other Of Cutting Prison Rehab Spending

ATLANTA -- Al Gore proposed drug-test requirements for prisoners and
parolees yesterday with better drug treatment - but also more jail time -
for those who fail.

He accused George W. Bush of slashing such programs in Texas and pushing
criminals through "the same old revolving door."

Aides to the Texas governor responded that the Democratic Clinton-Gore
administration has cut rehabilitation programs for federal prisoners. And
Texas Department of Criminal Justice figures show that prison substance
abuse spending actually increased by 53 percent to $99.9 million under Bush.

Gore and Bush engaged in a war of statistics, with the vice president
pointing to figures that suggest Texas has cut drug rehabilitation programs
while Bush's campaign cited the aforementioned numbers that show funding
actually increased.

Bush aides said the percentage of federal inmates in rehabilitation programs
dropped from 15.9 percent to 9.2 percent since Clinton and Gore took office.
The Justice Department confirmed those figures

"We need to get more police, not fewer," the vice president said, portraying
himself as the stronger candidate on law enforcement, an area in which polls
show him trailing his Republican rival. "We need to get tougher with repeat
offenders, not just put them back on the streets."

Bush spokesman Dan Bartlett said Gore should explain "why during his term
teen drug use in America nearly doubled, the number of drug treatment beds
in federal prisons was cut by over one-third, the Office of National Drug
Control . Policy was cut by 83 percent and federal gun prosecutions have
decreased by 46 percent."

Bush had a 14-point advantage over Gore on the crime issue in a March
CNN-USA Today-Gallup Poll and led him in April by an even larger margin.
Even on guns, an issue the vice president hopes to use against his anti-gun
control opponent, Bush is slightly favored by voters over Gore.

Meanwhile, polls show Bush in good shape on some issues that traditionally
favor Democrats, such as education and health care. The governor's standing
improved after a series of policy addresses on those issues.

"I will be a law enforcement president," Gore declared yesterday.

With rhetoric that was both tough and compassionate, Gore outlined a $1.3
billion, 10-year anti-crime program to an audience of police officials. Many
of the measures had been announced a year ago.

In a hew touch, he proposed spending $500 million in the first year to
create a matching grant program for states and local communities to help
test and treat probationers, prisoners and parolees for drugs.

Inmates who fail would be subject to more jail time. Probationers and
parolees would be tested twice a week and could be returned to prison if
they failed drug tests.

Gore would require former inmates to sign responsibility contracts in which
they also would agree to increased supervision by law enforcement officials
and payment of child support when relevant.

In return, the former convicts would get help in finding jobs.

Gore promised to make prisoners "a simple deal: Before you get out of jail
you have to get off drugs, you have to get clean and drug free. And if you
want to stay out, you better stay clean."

Gore's package also includes:

* Allowing off-duty police officers to carry concealed weapons in
jurisdictions where they are not currently allowed.

* Ensuring continued funding of a police-on-the-street program started by
Clinton. He said Bush's tax-cut plan would force cuts in the program.

* Making it a federal crime to stalk a child on the Internet.
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