NO FRILLS PRISON ACT PRESS RELEASES
Robert Bidinotto, an investigative journalist and author of the book, Criminal Justice and James Fotis, Executive Director of the Law Enforcement Alliance of America (LEAA), said ZImmer's legislation was an important step toward ending costly prison perks.
The "No Frills Prison Act" (H.R. 663) would make prison construction and improvement money available only to states that agreed not to provide inmates with such luxuries. It also would apply to federal prisons. *The bill was introduced last week, buy Zimmer hopes to include it as an amendment to the crime bill to be considered as part of the Republican Contract with America.
Zimmer pointed out the following examples of prison luxuries:
"Its time to stop this abuse of the American taxpayer," Zimmer said. "We shouldn't be using taxpayer dollars to turn prisons into vacation spas."
"Why should the tax-paying victims of crimes be forced to give their victimizers the luxuries that they can't even afford themselves?" asked Bidinotto. "It's the inmates who should be paying for their own upkeep."
Fotis, a 13-year police veteran, said, "The 'No Frills Prison Act' is no nonsense punishment. I applaud Congressman Zimmer for moving forward with this legislation.
"Let's stop playing games, let's get tough with criminals, and let's worry more about the suffering of untold millions of crime victims and stop spending time concerned about inmates and their happiness," said Fotis.
Not all federal prisons fit these descriptions or provide such amenities. But many do. That's why I plan to offer an amendment today to the crime bill to stop this abuse of taxpayer money.
Under my amendment, federal prisons would be required to provide "the least amount of amenities and personal comforts consistent with Constitutional requirements and good order and discipline in the Federal prison system." This provision is intended to eliminate luxuries such as in-cell televisions, pornographic materials, R, X, and NC-17 rated movies; personally owned computers,; in-cell coffee pots and microwave ovens; and expensive electronic musical instruments.
The amendment would also instruct the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to submit an annual report to Congress providing a breakdown of money spent at each federal correctional institution on prisoner amenities and non-essential programs.
I am not advocating a wholesale return to life on the chain gang, where circling a prison yard constituted recreation and a rock pile represented work. But, at a time when many Americans's are struggling to make ends meet and Congress is struggling to reduce federal spending, we should not be spending public money to pamper those who neither respect nor obey our laws.
If you have any questions about my amendment, please feel free to speak with me or have your staff contact Todd Mitchell of my office at 202-225-5801.
Sincerely,
Dick Zimmer
By a voice vote, ZImmer's amendment, which is based on his "No Frills Prison Act," was added to the Contract with America crime bill.
"When you break the laws of this land, you should pay the price for your crime - not be rewarded with a vacation watching premium cable on your personal TV," said Zimmer. "There is no reason why we should be using taxpayer funds to finance inmate amenities."
The provision is intended to prohibit prison luxuries such as in cell television: pornographic materials; R, X, and NC-17 rated movies; personally owned computers and modems: in-cell coffee pots or other heating elements; and expensive electronic musical instruments.
It requires the federal prison system to "provide prisoners the least amount of amenities and personal comforts consistent with constitutional requirements and good order and discipline in the federal prison system."
"Some criminals have come to view jail as an almost acceptable lifestyle because amenities are better for them on the inside than on the outside." said Zimmer.
The Zimmer amendment also would instruct the Director of Bureau of Prisons to submit an annual report to COngress providing a breakdown of money spent at each federal correctional institution on amenities and non-essential programs.
"This amendment will give us the basis for subsequent remedial legislation," said Zimmer."
At the request of Rep. Bill McCollum (R-FL), the crime bill's floor manager, Zimmer limited the scope of his amendment to federal prisons. However, he said he will work to extend "no frills" requirements to state prisons receiving federal funds.
Zimmer's bill was backed last week by the Law Enforcement Alliance of American and Robert Bidinotto, a leading criminal justice expert and investigative journalist. Bidinotto wrote the Reader's Digest article, "Must Our Prisons Be Resorts?" which described numerous prison luxuries.
"Prisoners should not have better accommodations on the inside than they would have had on the outside," said Zimmer. "If you break the law, you should pay the price, instead of being rewarded with a vacation watching X-rated movies on your personal TV set."
Zimmer's amendment of the Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary Appropriations act states that no appropriated funds shall be used by the federal prison system to provide specific amenities, including in-cell cable television, R, X, and NC-17 rated movies; instruction or training in martial arts: weightlifting equipment: in-cell coffee pots or heating elements: and electronic musical instruments.
"There is no reason why a criminal should be treated to state-of-the-art gyms or be permitted to watch premium cable television," said Zimmer. "And there is certainly no reason why taxpayers should foot the bill for such luxuries."
"At a time when many Americans are struggling to make ends meet and we in Congress are working to eliminate the deficit, we should not be spending public money to pamper those who neither respect nor obey our laws," said Zimmer.
The amendment is based on Zimmer's "No Frills Prison Act," which he introduced in January. His measure was endorsed by the Law Enforcement Alliance of America and Robert Bidinotto, a criminal justice expert.
In February, the House accepted Zimmer's "no frills" amendment to the Contract with America Crime bill. The amendment requires the Attorney General to set specific standards governing conditions in the federal prison system that provide prisoners the least amount of amenities and personal comforts consistent with constitutional requirements and good order and discipline. That amendment also requires the Bureau of Prisons to submit an annual audit to Congress listing exactly how much is spent at each federal prison for basics and how much is spent of "frills."
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