NO FRILLS PRISON ACT
On Good Friday (5 April 1996) we called Senator Inhofe's (Oklahoma senator) office and a Mr. Dan Barron promptly faxed us the CQ Billwatch Brief, CQ Billwatch Insight, Legislative history, and digest of the bill. We had been concerned that we were actually following the wrong bill due to the discrepancies in what we had heard about it. We had not been following the wrong bill, this is it. Thanks to Senator Inhofe's office for helping us out!
Mr. Todd Mitchell was kind enough to fax us the 4 press releases from Congressman Zimmer's office for posting on this web site April 9, 1996. Thanks to Todd for helping us better understand Congressman Zimmer's position.
This bill went on (with some adjustments) to be the 58th proposed amendment to HR 2076 (Appropriations for the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies). That bill was then incorporated into HR 3019 (Public Law 104-134) which was introduced 3/5/96 and signed by President Clinton on 4/26/96. HR 3019 was an appropriations bill for many government agencies for remaining fiscal 1996 (through 30 Sept. 1996).
The bill would focus on truth-in-sentencing incentive grants, which award money to states that make criminals serve as much of their time as possible. The measure would deny prisons th money unless they prohibit certain amenities for inmates.
HR663 would seek to eliminate perks such as boxing and karate lessons, weekly work schedules of less than 40 hours, in-cell television, pornographic materials and unmonitored phone calls, except with the inmate's immediate family or lawyer.
The bill also includes a provision to prohibit body-building and wight-lifting equipment in state prisons. Deborah Pryce, R-Ohio, a co-sponsor of the bill, introduced legislation in the 103rd and 104th Congresses to place the same restrictions on federal prisons.
In addition the bill would place special restrictions on inmates convicted of violent crimes, requiring a minimum of nine hours of physical labor per day, separate cell blocks that emphasize punishment instead of rehabilitation, a ban on all television and a requirement that they be handcuffed and accompanied by escort on all leaves from prison.
HR 663 would amend the Violent Crime COntrol and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.
SPONSOR: Rep Zimmer , (introduced 01/24/95)
(AS INTRODUCED)
No Frills Prison Act - Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to require a State, to be eligible for truth in sentencing incentive grants, to demonstrate that it: (1) provides living conditions and opportunities within its prisons that are not more luxurious than those that the average prisoner would have experienced if not incarcerated; (2) does not provide to any such prisoner specified benefits or privileges, including earned good time credits, less than 40 hours a week of work that either offsets or reduces the expenses of keeping the prisoner or provides resources toward restitution of victims, un monitored phone calls (with exceptions), in-cell television viewing, possession of pornographic materials, instruction or training equipment for any martial art or bodybuilding or weightlifting equipment, or dress or hygiene other than as is uniform or standard in the prison; and (3) in the case of a prisoner serving a sentence for a crime of violence which resulted in serious bodily injury to another, does not provide housing other than in separate cell blocks intended for violent prisoners, less than nine hours a day of physical labor (with exceptions), any release from the prison for any purpose unless under physical or mechanical restraint and under constant supervision of at least one armed correctional officer, or any viewing of television.
Directs the Attorney General to establish conditions in the Federal prison system that are, as nearly as possible, the same as those required in State prisons under this Act.
[Page: H592]
Under clause 5 of rule X and clause 4 of rule XXII, public bills and resolutions were introduced and severally referred as follows:
By Mr. ZIMMER (for himself, Mr. Stump, Mrs. Myrick, and Mr. Rohrabacher):
H.R . 663. A bill to amend the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to prevent luxurious conditions in prisons; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
No Frills Prison Act (Introduced in the House)
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Mr. Zimmer (for himself, Mr. Stump, Mrs. Myrick, and Mr. Rohrabacher) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
The origional co-sponsors of the bill were:
Myrick-NC, Rohrabacher-CA, Stump-AZ
[Page: H692]
Under clause 4 of rule XXII, sponsors were added to public bills and resolutions as follows:
H.R . 663: Mr. Cunningham-CA and Mr. Ney-OH.
[Page: H803]
Under clause 4 of rule XXII, sponsors were added to public bills and resolutions as follows:
H.R . 663: Mr. McKeon-CA, Mr. McHale-PA, Mr. Hancock-MO, and Mr. Gallegly-CA.
[Page: H890]
Under clause 4 of rule XXII, sponsors were added to public bills and resolutions as follows:
H.R . 663: Mr. Gilchrest-MD, Mr. Stearns-FL, and Mr. Jones-NC.
[Page: H970]
Under clause 4 of rule XXII, sponsors were added to public bills and resolutions as follows:
H.R . 663: Ms. Pryce-OH, Mr. Hunter-CA, Mr. Shuster-PA, Mr. Klug-WI, and Mr. Talent-MO.
[Page: H1052]
Under clause 4 of rule XXII, sponsors were added to public bills and resolutions as follows:
H.R . 663: Mr. Wamp-TN, Mr. Lobiondo-NJ, and Mr. Emerson-MO.
[Page: H1157]
Under clause 4 of rule XXII, sponsors were added to public bills and resolutions as follows:
H.R . 663: Mr. LaTourette-OH, Mr. Kim-CA, and Mr. Ackerman-NY.
[Page: H1208]
Under clause 4 of rule XXII, sponsors were added to public bills and resolutions as follows:
H.R . 663: Mr. Frisa-NY, Mr. Norwood-GA, and Mr. Funderburk-NC.
[Page: H1281]
Under clause 4 of rule XXII, sponsors were added to public bills and resolutions as follows:
H.R . 663: Mr. Forbes-NY, Mr. Holden-PA, and Mrs. Lincoln-AR.
[Page: H1460]
Under clause 4 of rule XXII, sponsors were added to public bills and resolutions as follows:
H.R . 663: Mr. Barr-GA and Mr. Hastings-WA of Washington.
[Page: H2063]
Under clause 4 of rule XXII, sponsors were added to public bills and resolutions as follows:
[Page: H2064]
[Page: H2224]
Under clause 4 of rule XXII, sponsors were added to public bills and resolutions as follows:
H.R . 663: Mr. Wicker-MS.
Rep Franks-NJ joined the list of sponsors - 10/25/95
The sponsor list provided by Senator Inhofe's office on 4/5/96 indicated the bill had 34 sponsors (4 Democrats, and 30 Republicans). It listed the same individuals we have listed above. It also gave the state the various individuals represented. That data is now included in our sponsor list above.
Amendment No. 58: Page 102, after line 20, insert the following new section:
Sec. . None of the funds made available in this Act shall be used to provide the following amenties or personal comforts in the federal prison system--
(A)(i) in-cell television viewing except for prisoners who are segregated from the general prison population for their own safety;
(ii) the viewing of R, X, and NC-17 rated movies, through whatever medium presented;
(iii) any instruction (live or through broadcasts) or training equipment for boxing, wrestling, judo, karate, or other martial art, or any bodybuilding or weightlifting equipment of any sort;
(iv) possession of in-cell coffee pots, hot plates, or heating elements;
(v) the use or possession of any electric or electronic musical instrument.
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