SB 2017-055 - The Federal Penitentiary Reform Act of 2017 (FPRA) (Final Vote)

[Leinad]

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Sponsor: (then-)President Blair (Lab-MA)

I now open a period of debate on this bill.

[LLR]

Very nice bill

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

NO! My plans were lock you guys all up in Deadman Wonderland for inactivity.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I actually support this.

At first glance, 3.1 concerns me. Some people are kept in solitary for their own safety.


If memory serves me, when border patrol agents Ramos and Compean were put in jail, they spent close to a year in solitary before Bush commuted their sentences. It was feared they would be attacked by prison gangs and killed if put in the general population.

There should be some way to ensure a means of protecting such prisoners who are likely to come under threat because of their careers perhaps in law enforcement or cooperation with a criminal investigation against some other person be it a drug lord or mafia boss or whatever, thus putting their lives at risk in the general population.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I applaud the inclusion of mental health as well. Too many people end up in prison because of mental illness when they should be in a properly staffed and regulated mental health facility. The provision won't address that but it will help provide care and facilities for those prisoners in that category and not that suffer from mental illness.

[Blair]

Disclaimer: Anyone who wants an enjoyable weekend should watch Orange is the New Black. I knew a bit about prison reform but binge watching that really put a human side to prisons that I'd never seen in other documentaries/TV series. Of course it's fictional/not 100% accurate/drama etc but taught me that prison is another social arena that is controlled by the government, and thus should be a concern for us.

In regards to 3.1 it refers to Solidarity confinement, rather than the protected wings of the prison where people such as cops/prison officers/sex offenders are kept   

[Associate Justice PiT]

     Helping prisoners get back on their feet is an interesting idea. I would also be interested in partnering with companies to find jobs upon exiting for well-behaved prisoners, though I'm not sure how many companies would want to partner with prisons.

[Blair]

     Helping prisoners get back on their feet is an interesting idea. I would also be interested in partnering with companies to find jobs upon exiting for well-behaved prisoners, though I'm not sure how many companies would want to partner with prisons.

This is an interesting case study; and a good story

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10266250/Timpson-has-key-to-giving-ex-convicts-second-chance.html

[Associate Justice PiT]

     Helping prisoners get back on their feet is an interesting idea. I would also be interested in partnering with companies to find jobs upon exiting for well-behaved prisoners, though I'm not sure how many companies would want to partner with prisons.

This is an interesting case study; and a good story

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10266250/Timpson-has-key-to-giving-ex-convicts-second-chance.html

     I like it. Part of the reason recidivism is so bad is that people come out of prison with no realistic path forward. Prison ruins your life, and even after you serve your time it is very hard to work your way out of that hole. I'll propose an amendment to Section 3.2:

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[Blair]

Just saw the amendment, not that I have the power to object as I'm no longer a Senator, but the amendment has my support

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Disclaimer: Anyone who wants an enjoyable weekend should watch Orange is the New Black. I knew a bit about prison reform but binge watching that really put a human side to prisons that I'd never seen in other documentaries/TV series. Of course it's fictional/not 100% accurate/drama etc but taught me that prison is another social arena that is controlled by the government, and thus should be a concern for us.

In regards to 3.1 it refers to Solidarity confinement, rather than the protected wings of the prison where people such as cops/prison officers/sex offenders are kept   

Just so long as all prisons have enough options to keep such prisoners safe, my concerns with that aspect will be satisfied.

[Anna Komnene]

Is that supposed to be "solitary?"  I'm a little concerned about that clause too.  Maybe if it only applies to non-violent criminals.  IMO, there are certain people, like those being housed in supermax facilities, that are there for a reason.  They are pretty much monsters in human form, and I don't think it would be a good idea to constrain what prisons can do with them (as long as it's not physical torture or anything).

[Associate Justice PiT]

     I would be open to exceptions as necessary for the safety of other prisoners. That is supposing that the protected wings that Blair describes would not be sufficient to address Siren's concerns.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I am interested in the responses to these two questions.

[Leinad]

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Since this amendment has gone 3 years, 7 months, and 22 days without objection, it is now adopted.

[Blair]

It was a typo on my behalf- with the amount of things I write for UK labour solidarity is my go to word.

I didn't want to ban solitary confinement completely; because as noted with violent prisoners who have outbursts you need a system to cool them down. This is why I put in the 21 day limit; in my view anything further than that is excessive. I've linked a rather good article on it below

 https://www.wired.com/2013/07/solitary-confinement-2/

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[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Not much to say about this, really.  I support the bill.

[Anna Komnene]

Okay the article was fairly convincing.  Making people go crazy in prisons isn't helping anyone.  How about this:

Federal Prison Conditions and Standards

1.) No Juvenile prisoners shall be kept in Solidarity Confinement. Prisoners over the age of 18 shall only be kept in Solidarity Confinement for up to 21 days at any one time.

2.) $20 million is hereby set aside for a pilot scheme to create non violent wings of prisons, where prisoners who've been convicted of non-violent offensives shall be housed.

3.) $200 million is hereby allocated for mental health facilitates, training for staff and treatment for prisoners with mental health conditions.

4.) All prison staff should be trained in conflict resolution, and safe, and proper restraining techniques.

5.) If a prison does not have adequately secure facilities to house criminals with a history of dangerous and violent behavior apart from solitary confinement cells, they shall be transferred to a prison that does.[/quote]

[Associate Justice PiT]

     That seems like a good compromise.

[Blair]

Okay the article was fairly convincing.  Making people go crazy in prisons isn't helping anyone.  How about this:

Federal Prison Conditions and Standards

1.) No Juvenile prisoners shall be kept in Solidarity Confinement. Prisoners over the age of 18 shall only be kept in Solidarity Confinement for up to 21 days at any one time.

2.) $20 million is hereby set aside for a pilot scheme to create non violent wings of prisons, where prisoners who've been convicted of non-violent offensives shall be housed.

3.) $200 million is hereby allocated for mental health facilitates, training for staff and treatment for prisoners with mental health conditions.

4.) All prison staff should be trained in conflict resolution, and safe, and proper restraining techniques.

5.) If a prison does not have adequately secure facilities to house criminals with a history of dangerous and violent behavior apart from solitary confinement cells, they shall be transferred to a prison that does.

[/quote]

Amendment is friendly- appreciate the good work shown by the Senate here. Don't make me pull a Marco Rubio with this chamber

[Clyde1998]

I like this bill and it has my support.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Okay the article was fairly convincing.  Making people go crazy in prisons isn't helping anyone.  How about this:

Federal Prison Conditions and Standards

1.) No Juvenile prisoners shall be kept in Solidarity Confinement. Prisoners over the age of 18 shall only be kept in Solidarity Confinement for up to 21 days at any one time.

2.) $20 million is hereby set aside for a pilot scheme to create non violent wings of prisons, where prisoners who've been convicted of non-violent offensives shall be housed.

3.) $200 million is hereby allocated for mental health facilitates, training for staff and treatment for prisoners with mental health conditions.

4.) All prison staff should be trained in conflict resolution, and safe, and proper restraining techniques.

5.) If a prison does not have adequately secure facilities to house criminals with a history of dangerous and violent behavior apart from solitary confinement cells, they shall be transferred to a prison that does.

Amendment is friendly- appreciate the good work shown by the Senate here. Don't make me pull a Marco Rubio with this chamber

What is that suppose to mean?

[Leinad]

With no objections, the amendment has passed.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I am still curious to know what BLair meant by pulling a Marco Rubio with the chamber?

[LLR]

I motion for a final vote on the amended bill...