Bill Clinton signed the crime bill in 1994 is in the right direction. This is because prison sentences were increased and more thugs are behind bars and not on the streets committing violent crimes.
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2012/crime-in-the-u.s.-2012/tables/1tabledatadecoverviewpdf/table_1_crime_in_the_united_states_by_volume_and_rate_per_100000_inhabitants_1993-2012.xls