§ 14194. Responsibilities of Commission

(a) In general

The responsibilities of the Commission shall include such study and consultation as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes set forth in section 14193 of this title, including the specific measures described in subsections (b) through (e) of this section in relation to the subject areas addressed in those subsections.

(b) Crime and violence generally In addressing the subject of crime and violence generally, the activities of the Commission shall include the following:

(1) Reviewing the effectiveness of traditional criminal justice approaches in preventing and controlling crime and violence.

(2) Examining the impact that changes in Federal and State law have had in controlling crime and violence.

(3) Examining the impact of changes in Federal immigration laws and policies and increased development and growth along United States international borders on crime and violence in the United States, particularly among the Nation’s youth.

(4) Examining the problem of youth gangs and providing recommendations as to how to reduce youth involvement in violent crime.

(5) Examining the extent to which the use of dangerous weapons in the commission of crime has contributed to violence and murder in the United States.

(6) Convening field hearings in various regions of the country to receive testimony from a cross section of criminal justice professionals, business leaders, elected officials, medical doctors, and other persons who wish to participate.

(7) Reviewing all segments of the Nation’s criminal justice systems, including the law enforcement, prosecution, defense, judicial, and corrections components in developing the crime control and prevention proposal.

(c) Causes of demand for drugs In addressing the subject of the causes of the demand for drugs, the activities of the Commission shall include the following:

(1) Examining the root causes of illicit drug use and abuse in the United States, including by compiling existing research regarding those root causes, and including consideration of the following factors:

(A) The characteristics of potential illicit drug users and abusers or drug traffickers, including age and social, economic, and educational backgrounds.

(B) Environmental factors that contribute to illicit drug use and abuse, including the correlation between unemployment, poverty, and homelessness and drug experimentation and abuse.

(C) The effects of substance use and abuse by a relative or friend in contributing to the likelihood and desire of an individual to experiment with illicit drugs.

(D) Aspects of, and changes in cultural values, attitudes and traditions that contribute to illicit drug use and abuse.

(E) The physiological and psychological factors that contribute to the desire for illicit drugs.

(2) Evaluating Federal, State, and local laws and policies on the prevention of drug abuse, control of unlawful production, distribution and use of controlled substances, and the efficacy of sentencing policies with regard to those laws.

(3) Analyzing the allocation of resources among interdiction of controlled substances entering the United States, enforcement of Federal laws relating to the unlawful production, distribution, and use of controlled substances, education with regard to and the prevention of the unlawful use of controlled substances, and treatment and rehabilitation of drug abusers.

(4) Analyzing current treatment and rehabilitation methods and making recommendations for improvements.

(5) Identifying any existing gaps in drug abuse policy that result from the lack of attention to the root causes of drug abuse.

(6) Assessing the needs of government at all levels for resources and policies for reducing the overall desire of individuals to experiment with and abuse illicit drugs.

(7) Making recommendations regarding necessary improvements in policies for reducing the use of illicit drugs in the United States.

(d) Violence in schools In addressing the subject of violence in schools, the activities of the Commission shall include the following:

(1) Defining the causes of violence in schools.

(2) Defining the scope of the national problem of violence in schools.

(3) Providing statistics and data on the problem of violence in schools on a State-by-State basis.

(4) Investigating the problem of youth gangs and their relation to violence in schools and providing recommendations on how to reduce youth involvement in violent crime in schools.

(5) Examining the extent to which dangerous weapons have contributed to violence and murder in schools.

(6) Exploring the extent to which the school environment has contributed to violence in schools.

(7) Reviewing the effectiveness of current approaches in preventing violence in schools.

(e) Violence against women In addressing the subject of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other criminal and unlawful acts that particularly affect women, the activities of the Commission shall include the following:

(1) Evaluating the adequacy of, and making recommendations regarding, current law enforcement efforts at the Federal, State, and local levels to reduce the incidence of such crimes and acts, and to punish those responsible for such crimes and acts.

(2) Evaluating the adequacy of, and making recommendations regarding, the responsiveness of prosecutors and courts to such crimes and acts.

(3) Evaluating the adequacy of rules of evidence, practice, and procedure to ensure the effective prosecution and conviction of perpetrators of such crimes and acts and to protect victims of such crimes and acts from abuse in legal proceedings, making recommendations, where necessary, to improve those rules.

(4) Evaluating the adequacy of pretrial release, sentencing, incarceration, and post-conviction release in relation to such crimes and acts.

(5) Evaluating the adequacy of, and making recommendations regarding, the adequacy of Federal and State laws on sexual assault and the need for a more uniform statutory response to sex offenses, including sexual assaults and other sex offenses committed by offenders who are known or related by blood or marriage to the victim.

(6) Evaluating the adequacy of, and making recommendations regarding, the adequacy of Federal and State laws on domestic violence and the need for a more uniform statutory response to domestic violence.

(7) Evaluating the adequacy of, and making recommendations regarding, the adequacy of current education, prevention, and protective services for victims of such crimes and acts.

(8) Assessing the issuance, formulation, and enforcement of protective orders, whether or not related to a criminal proceeding, and making recommendations for their more effective use in domestic violence and stalking cases.

(9) Assessing the problem of stalking and recommending effective means of response to the problem.

(10) Evaluating the adequacy of, and making recommendations regarding, programs for public awareness and public dissemination of information to prevent such crimes and acts.

(11) Evaluating the treatment of victims of such crimes and acts in Federal, State, and local criminal justice systems, and making recommendations designed to improve such treatment.

(Pub. L. 103–322, title XXVII, § 270004, Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2092.)