The Violent Crime and Law Enforcement Act of 1994

I. Introduction
The Clinton Crime Bill: Why Is It So
Controversial?
by Jessica Lussenhop BBC News Magazine | 18 April 2016
A 1994 federal crime bill passed by former President Bill Clinton has become a
problem for Hillary Clinton's campaign. But what did it actually do?
The crime bill in question is the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, an
enormous $30bn (£21bn) package that was the largest crime-control bill in US history.
Critics say the bill decimated communities of colour and accelerated mass
incarceration. Proponents say it contributed to the precipitous decline in violent crime in
the US that began in the mid-1990s.
So who is right?
1. What was the 1994 Crime Bill?
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act was a lengthy crime control bill
that was put together over the course of six years. Its provisions implemented many
things, including a "three strikes" mandatory life sentence for repeat offenders, money
to hire 100,000 new police officers, $9.7bn in funding for prisons, and an expansion of
death penalty-eligible offences. It also dedicated $6.1bn to prevention
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