HB 21-20: Breakout Act (Final Vote)

[Blair]

Yes  I've got a number of doubts about this bill because whilst I agree with the wider philosophical argument (no-one wants to be imprisoned) equally that is the whole point of imprisonment- nobody wants to be put in prison, and its purpose is a punishment. I support a wide range of prison reforms, and I know we've passed a lot before but I'm worried this bill might be a big step forward.

I also don't like the bold part in this section 'No additional penalty may be imposed for successful or attempted escape from an Atlasian federal or military prison, provided no human being is intentionally physically harmed during the attempt, with the following exceptions''

Surely this means hypothetically if I was in prison I could use a fellow prisoner, guard or visitor as a hostage to escape. Equally I could run someone over in a van trying to escape, and then not even be prosecuted for manslaughter.

It also poses the interesting question of what happens if you escape and your sentence runs out before you're re-captured. 

[Blair]

My reading of the federal law on this subject is that you can currently get a 5 year sentence for escaping; I'd be open to reducing this with very specific circumstances & tight rules- along with trying to fix the issues that other people identified.

Rather than tabling this I'm happy to amend & then move to a final vote where people can vote it down (and requires less votes to fail then it does to table iirc)

[Blair]

I'll have an amendment up in 24 hours.

[Blair]

SENATE BILL

Be it Enacted in Both Houses of Congress Assembled,

Breakout Act

SECTION 1.
Recognizing that human nature is to want to be free,

1. No additional prison sentence penalty of more than three years may be imposed for successful or attempted escape by an inmate from an Atlasian federal or military prison, provided no human being is intentionally physically harmed, assaulted, threatened, held hostage or imprisoned during the attempt, with the following exceptions:
a. Prisoners may be fined for an amount not exceeding the cost to repair any part of a prison facility that was damaged during the escape attempt.

1B. This shall not apply to anyone found abetting, aiding or helping with another inmates escape attempt

2. Crimes committed while an escaped prisoner is on the run may be prosecuted accordingly.

[Blair]

abstain