Mr. Murphy, it's a very good question. It would be difficult over 22 years to say that the only factor that has affected crime in America was the mandatory minimum sentences in the federal regime.
There are 14 million arrests by police officers in the United States nationwide each year. There are only 25,000 federal drug cases in a year. Our economy has changed dramatically and the crime rate has gone down dramatically, but the crime rate went down in many American cities that did not adopt the policies that Mayor Giuliani imposed in New York. The fact that we do have a lot less crime now is certainly a blessing, but I don't think anyone would say it's because of the mandatory minimum sentences that exist in the federal system.
The reality is that the drugs, which are the target of those mandatory minimums, remain widely available, cheaper than ever, addiction is widespread, drug treatment facilities have very long waiting lists, and there is still a large amount of crime associated with the tragedy of drug abuse in the United States.