Ensign co-sponsors victims' rights bill

"It's time to put victims first in our criminal justice system," Ensign, R-Nev., said. "Let's give our children a second chance instead of providing that second chance to the criminals who prey on them."

Ensign is co-sponsoring the No Second Chances bill authored by Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz.

The bill would change federal sentencing guidelines to recommend the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole for convicted murderers, and life imprisonment for convicted child molesters or rapists.

It also would encourage states to strengthen sentencing guidelines by making a state liable for the costs of apprehension, prosecution and incarceration of ex-convicts who are released by that state and later convicted of another crime in another state.

Joining Ensign at the news conference were Fred Goldman, whose son was found slain with Nicole Brown Simpson in Los Angeles; Mark Klaas, whose daughter Polly was molested and murdered in California by a paroled child molester; and Mary Vincent, who was raped and her arms cut off by an attacker who later killed a Florida woman in 1997.

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