EDWARDS GETS TOUGH ON CRIME

WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. John Edwards accused the Bush administration Tuesday
of neglecting the need to fight crime in the country's poor neighborhoods
as the administration wages a war on international terrorism and cuts taxes
for the wealthy.

Appearing before college students at Georgetown University, the North
Carolina Democrat advocated a series of reforms, including a Washington-led
effort to toughen states' parole and probation systems, which he called
"overburdened, understaffed, inconsistent and almost completely unsuccessful."

Noting that the FBI recently reported an uptick in the nation's crime rate
after a decade of declines, Edwards said the country risked losing progress
made in law enforcement during the 1990s.

"Anyone who has ever lost a loved one to a street thug or a sexual predator
knows that violent crime can be the terrorism of everyday life," Edwards
said, calling it "a battle I'm afraid we risk losing under this
administration."

Edwards' remarks were delivered at a time when potential 2004 presidential
candidates are laying out policy proposals on various subjects in an
attempt to distinguish themselves from other hopefuls.

The White House was dismissive of Edwards' criticism.

"President Bush is committed to a safer America, whether we're fighting a
war on terrorism or criminals on the street," said Bush spokeswoman Jeanie
Mamo. She cited efforts from the administration to give local police
departments more flexibility in determining how they spend federal money.

Edwards' sharpest criticism of the administration was directed at its
handling of the economy. He argued that during the 1990s, the strength of
the economy helped people escape poverty and contributed to the decrease in
crime. Today, Edwards said, "the economy is going off the rails, while this
administration seems to be asleep at the switch."

He said that President Bush's tax-cut plan had sapped available funds for
proven federal crime initiatives, such as the COPS program, which helps
fund police in local communities.

"The administration acts as though cutting taxes for the very wealthiest
Americans is more important than cutting crime in the very poorest
communities," Edwards said.

He cited states' early-release programs as a festering problem and called
for far more frequent drug testing of the roughly 4.5 million Americans on
parole or probation. Punishment for those found using drugs should be swift
and automatic, he said.

Edwards said parole and probation officers need to get out of their offices
and onto the streets, and that they should be equipped with laptop
computers and given more manageable caseloads.

He also called for better literacy programs and other efforts to
rehabilitate prisoners.

"We know that when somebody leaves jail, giving him a sweat suit and
sending him to the bus station in the dead of night is not the way to give
him a fresh start," Edwards said.

Later, as he took questions from students, it appeared that some of
Edwards' views on rehabilitation are a work in progress.

One student asked if he would support repealing a ban on providing federal
financial aid for education to those who have been convicted of drug offenses.

"I don't know the answer to that off the top of my head," Edwards said.
"I'll have to think about that."