Gov. Mike Easley and his Crime Commission seem to be singing different tunes about whether more people should be sent to prison.

When asked about problems with the state's probation system earlier this month, Easley said too many "mean people" were on the street doing "mean things," Anne Blythe reports.

State sentencing laws let too many people avoid prison, Easley said. And his administration, he says, has pushed for more money and policy changes to put people behind bars.

But earlier this month, Easley's Crime Commission, 44 members who serve as his chief advisers on criminal justice issues, pushed a very different approach with a very different tone.

During a meeting Dec. 4 and 5, the commission adopted a legislative policy and agenda for the General Assembly's 2009 session.

Among the recommendations: Curtail prison bed construction by 33 percent and double the amount of funding to community correction programs that are alternatives to incarceration.

Sounds like somebody might be a bit off key.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole presented her crime-fighting efforts to nearly 700 law enforcement officials at an anti-gang conference in Durham today.

Dole, a Salisbury Republican seeking her second term in the Senate, told the members of the N.C. Gang Investigators Association that she had won $1.2 million for a Charlotte anti-gang program, co-sponsored the Gang Abatement and Prevention Act that includes new penalties for gang activity and more money for prevention programs, and helped sheriffs set up programs to deport illegal immigrants charged with crime.

A Governor's Crime Commission report earlier this year found that gangs and gang membership have grown rapidly in the past several years, Dan Kane reports.

"The problem we face with gangs in North Carolina can't be solved of course overnight, but I'm confident that with committed law enforcement officers like you and local and federal assistance we can win this battle against gangs and make North Carolina communities stronger and safer," Dole said in her 15 minute speech.

More after the jump.

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The N.C. House and Senate overwhelmingly approved a sweeping package of anti-gang measures today that include new penalties for gang-related activity.

The legislation is punitive part of a carrot and stick approach to help reduce gang activity across the state. A Governor's Crime Commission report that said there are more than 550 gangs in the state and nearly 15,000 gang members, Dan Kane reports.

There was no debate in the House, which passed it by a 110-1 vote. In the Senate, the vote was 45-0 after a short debate.

The legislation creates new felonies for those who commit drive-by shootings, take part in gang activities, or solicit others to join gangs. There are also new felonies for gang members who threaten others who try to leave, or threaten those who try to help members leave a gang.

Property acquired for or derived from gang activity could be subject to forfeiture.

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A coalition of mayors and law enforcement agencies urged state lawmakers this morning to create new penalties for gang activity and to devote money toward prevention and intervention.

"What it's about is saving the youth of North Carolina," said Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy. "The insidious nature of gangs is that it destroys our communities."

The state Senate is scheduled to take up two bills later today that address many of the concerns of the mayors and police agencies, reports Dan Kane.

There are differences, though, with House legislation passed last year, so it is likely that both sides will have to work out compromise legislation in a House-Senate conference committee.

A recent Governor's Crime Commission report found that there are nearly 15,000 gang members in the state and more than 550 gangs. Gastonia Police Chief Terry Sult said there are more gang members per capita in communities of less than 75,000 residents than in larger cities.

Some lawmakers, particularly Rep. Mickey Michaux, a Durham Democrat, have been pushing for anti-gang legislation for several years. But debates about the cost of incarceration and whether prevention was being adequately addressed have stalled their efforts.

Michaux and others are optimistic legislation will pass this session. Michaux said more needs to be done before he will sign off on a final package. He wants $10 million in the state budget for prevention.

Others, including the sponsor of the Senate legislation, Malcolm Graham, a Charlotte Democrat, and Durham Mayor Bill Bell said the final legislation should include a provision that gives rehabilitated gang members the ability to expunge their records of their gang activity.