The President called for passage of a juvenile crime bill that would ban violent juveniles from ever buying guns.

Lawmakers were convinced that district attorneys were better equipped to prosecute violent juveniles and insisted on more stringent punishment.

Because states have become so much quicker to try serious offenders as adults, the arrests and convictions of the more violent juveniles are increasingly likely to be on the public record.

Congressional Republicans have proposed a three-year program against youth crime, a $1.5 billion plan that would give grants to state and local governments for applying adult penalties to the most dangerous, violent juveniles.

As the House debated gun control for 11 hours on Wednesday, the Senate was quickly approving a law raising penalties for violent juveniles and for crimes involving guns.

Third, we will, as Governor Engler mentioned, hold violent juveniles, who now commit over 35 percent of violent crimes, accountable for their actions.

This session the Legislature also tightened the screws on a group that is numerically small but uniquely menacing in the public mind: violent juveniles.

Mr. Clinton is also proposing to extend such checks to people who buy guns at gun shows, and he would ban violent juveniles from ever being able to buy guns, even when they turn 21.

The Senate also passed legislation to require child safety locks, to ban large ammunition clips for assault weapons, to ban violent juveniles from owning handguns as adults.

Because so many violent juveniles are arrested - and few spaces exist for them - they are often released before counseling can take hold.