Unfortunately, the elimination of incentives such as parole, good time credits and funding for college courses, means that fewer inmates participate in and excel in literacy, education, treatment and other development programs.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of the Civil Rights Act.

It is virtually impossible to compete in today's global economy without a college degree.

Unequal funding resources also results in unequal educational opportunity when you consider studies that show that one half of low income students who are qualified to attend college do not attend because they can't afford to.

The Federal prison population has increased more than 7-fold over the past 20 years.

Present law has a process to ascertain whether or not a patient is in a persistent vegetative state, and it should not matter what politicians think.

We can continue our progress as a Nation toward the promise that all people are created equal and that our Nation will treat every person in that spirit.