House Panel Approves Package of Anti-Crime Measures : Legislation: Judiciary subcommittee OKs a long list of punishment and prevention tools. The initiatives mirror Clinton’s proposals.

Placing strong emphasis both on crime prevention and tough punishment, a House Judiciary subcommittee approved a sweeping crime package Friday that includes mandatory life sentences for the most violent felons and $6.5 billion for programs to encourage young people to obey the law.

Although Congress is still weeks away from final passage of any crime bill and details will continue to change, the package--approved in a series of partisan votes on separate bills--represents the heart of the anti-crime initiative being embraced by the House Democratic leadership and President Clinton.

Atty. Gen. Janet Reno immediately endorsed the subcommittee’s action, saying: “We are pleased with the progress made today in passing the President’s crime bill.”

Still to be included in the initiative are two highly popular provisions: the addition of 100,000 police officers across the nation and $3 billion for prison construction. Those provisions are likely to be part of the $22-billion omnibus bill to be considered next week by the full Judiciary Committee.

Although Republicans are certain to introduce alternative bills with a stronger emphasis on punishment and prison construction, the essence of the Democratic bill is expected to win House approval.

How it will emerge from a conference to reconcile it with the Senate version, however, remains unpredictable.

Compared to the crime bill approved by the Senate last year, the House subcommittee’s approach focuses more sharply on the most violent criminals and at crime prevention methods that get results, said Rep. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), chairman of the panel.

But the ranking Republican on the subcommittee, Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. of Wisconsin, charged that the panel went off on a “spending spree,” adding $4 billion for more crime prevention to win the support of liberal Democrats.

“That’s what it cost to get the votes for this thing,” he said.

Even so, Schumer noted that the package has virtually everything in it the President wants, except a ban on assault weapons. The Senate approved a ban on 19 rapid-fire weapons in its version of the crime bill, but House leaders said such a ban would be considered as separate legislation later this year.

The subcommittee swiftly approved expansion of the federal death penalty for 64 additional crimes and authorized, on a 7-5 vote, trials for 13- and 14-year-olds accused of serious violent crimes--if federal prosecutors in each case sought them.

A parallel provision in the Senate-passed bill makes it mandatory for juveniles as young as 13 to be tried as adults if they are charged with violent crimes, including use of a firearm. The Senate bill extends the federal death penalty to 53 additional crimes.

“We send the wrong signal when we give up on 13-year-old children,” argued Rep. Craig Washington (D-Tex.). But Schumer sided with the subcommittee majority, saying: “There are some--not many--juveniles who should be treated as adults.”

In its version of the newly popular “three strikes” provision, the House subcommittee voted, 10 to 3, to require a life sentence without parole for any felon convicted in federal court of a serious violent crime for the third time.

An amendment offered by Rep. Steven H. Schiff (R-N.M.) and approved on a 7-6 vote would require that a life sentence should be imposed if either a first or second conviction is for a serious drug offense normally punishable by 10 years in prison.

Rep. Don Edwards (D-San Jose), who voted against the “three strikes” provision, said there is no evidence that repeat offenders convicted in federal courts are “walking the streets.” About 96% of all crimes are handled by state courts, he said, making the provision unnecessary.

But Schumer said that the proposal--already adopted in California and Washington--is aimed only at “the worst, most violent felons” and would not put an undue burden on federal prisons.

By adopting the measure, the subcommittee brushed aside objections from a coalition of 21 national organizations--including the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People and the American Civil Liberties Union--that the “three strikes” provision is “arbitrary, discriminatory and wasteful.” The organizations said that the cost of housing prisoners for life would be “devastating,” estimating it at $20,000 or more per prisoner annually.

The subcommittee included a $2-billion program, known as the Local Partnership Act, to allocate federal grants to local governments for crime-prevention activities. The funds would be provided by a formula based on poverty levels, unemployment, population and local tax-raising efforts.

“This part of the bill makes an heroic attempt to bring punishment and prevention in the same legislation,” said Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), chief sponsor of the proposal.

But Sensenbrenner contended that the program is a combination of the Law Enforcement Assistance Act and federal revenue-sharing that he said were ended during the Jimmy Carter Administration.

“We don’t have the money to share,” Sensenbrenner said, foreshadowing a floor fight on the issue. “It ain’t going to work.” Democrats, however, were united on the issue and picked up a vote for the package from Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.) as well.