On Capitol Hill
Combating prison privatization
H.R. 979, AFSCME’s anti-prison-privatization bill, enjoys strong bipartisan support in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill’s principal sponsors are Reps. Ted Strickland (D-Ohio), Peter King (R-N.Y.), Tim Holden (D-Pa.) and John Sweeney (R-N.Y.). H.R. 979 currently has 108 co-sponsors — 87 Democrats and 21 Republicans. AFSCME Corrections United, as part of a concerted effort to gain the support of a majority of the Congress, will contact members of Congress from every state. The advocacy effort bolsters the union’s ongoing media campaign to expose the inherent dangers of privatization to prison personnel and the general public.
AFSCME’s drive will emphasize scheduled visits with members of the Congressional Correctional Officers Caucus (CCOC) who currently are not co-sponsors. Check the following list of CCOC members. If your congressional representative is not a co-sponsor, ask for his or her support. Call, toll free, 1-877-722-7494 and ask to be connected directly to your representative. Or, for an easy and fast way to communicate with your representative, visit AFSCME’s Web page, and send an e-mail directly. Just furnish your ZIP code and you’ll be automatically linked to your representative.
As of press time, the following CCOC members are not co-sponsors of H.R. 979:
Alan Boyd (D-Fla.)
Bud Cramer (D-Ala.)
Tom Davis (R-Va.)
Peter Deutsch (D-Fla.)
Tony Hall (D-Ohio)
Chris John (D-La.)
Nick Lampson (D-Texas)
Bob Matsui (D-Calif.)
George Nethercutt (R-Wash.)
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.)
Tom Petri (R-Wis.)
Chuck Robb (D-Va.)
Bob Wise (D-W.Va.)
Other elements of the “push” will be a field postcard mail-in campaign, targeted mailings, newspaper advertisements and other legislative activities planned throughout the year. Stopping Corrections Corporation of America, Wackenhut and other privateers from building or taking over more prisons are AFSCME’s top priorities in the corrections area.
Curbing cheap prisoner transport
Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) has sponsored a bill designed to ensure public safety during the interstate transport of violent prisoners. S. 1898 was introduced in response to a high-profile escape of a North Dakota child molester/killer from a New Mexico truck stop — a crime that gave the bill the name “Jeanna’s Act.” A private transporter, TransCor, was responsible for the murderer’s escape, which occurred while the guards were at a truck stop. Corrections Corporation of America owns TransCor.
The bill places on prisoner-transport the regulatory costs of background checks and drug testing for employees, minimum standards for training, on-duty hour restrictions, staffing minimums and mandating the same basic hiring requirements as those imposed on COs. Increasing privateers’ operating costs levels the playing field for public versus private services.
Recognition long overdue
Sen. Charles Robb (D-Va.) has introduced a Senate Resolution that would designate the week of May 7, 2000, as “National Corrections Officers and Employees Week.” Citing the “vital role played by correctional personnel in protecting the rights of the public to be safeguarded from criminal activity” and the “demanding circumstances and danger faced by corrections officers in their daily work lives,” Sen. Robb says it is essential to recognize their dedication and public service.
Sens. Ashcroft (R-Mo.), Bryan (D-Nev.), DeWine (R-Ohio), Durbin (D-Ill.), Feinstein (D-Calif.), Hagel (R-Neb.), Inhofe (R-Okla.), Jeffords (R-Vt.), Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Sarbanes (D-Md.) and Warner (R-Va.) added their names as co-sponsors. The resolution also asks the President to make an official declaration on behalf of correctional employees, calling upon the American people to observe the week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
Help increase support for this resolution. Contact both senators from your state and urge them to co-sponsor Senate Resolution 248. You can contact your senators through AFSCME’s Web page. Just supply your ZIP code and you are quickly connected. It’s that simple.
During your visit to the Web page, browse our many informative sites. Sign up to be an AFSCME cyber-activist and to receive e-mail alerts on important AFSCME-supported legislative initiatives.
In conjunction with “Correctional Officers and Employees Week,” ACU will conduct various legislative activities, and fighting prison privatization will be a top priority. ACU will focus on the threat to public safety brought on by privateers’ profit-hungry practices such as inadequate training of employees and lax oversight and safety procedures. A strong push for legislation to stop further privatization will be at the forefront of AFSCME’s legislative agenda in the 2nd session of the 106th Congress.
Stayed tuned to AFSCME’s Web page for further updates on “Correctional Officers and Employees Week” activities.
Hands off
Rep. John Sweeney (R-N.Y.) wants to make sure that criminals don’t get their hands on corrections officers’ official personnel records and personal information. The legislator plans to introduce a bill that protects such intimate information. If you are a constituent of Sweeney, thank him for his support.
