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A move by Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) will advance ACU’s legislative agenda opposing prison privatization. On July 26, the senator introduced S. 2927, the Senate companion bill to H.R. 979, the Public Safety Act. It ensures that “the incarceration of inmates is not provided by private contractors or vendors.”
In his opening statement, Feingold cited the deplorable record of private contractors. He specifically noted the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center in Youngstown and a juvenile facility in Jena, La., as prime examples of how privateers use untrained, unsupervised and poorly paid staff, putting the public in peril.
ACU is working with Feingold to build support before the final days of the 106th Congress. You can help, too. Contact your senators at (202) 224-3121, or send a letter and ask them to co-sponsor S. 2927. You can also visit AFSCME’s home page, www.afscme.org. Click on “AFSCME Corrections United” to send an e-mail to your senators. It’s easy and fast.
HEALTHY WORKING CONDITIONS
Rep. Ted Strickland (D-Ohio) has introduced H.R. 4443, a bill to amend the Public Health Service Act and establish an Office of Correctional Health. Citing a need to create a healthy working environment for COs, Strickland indicated that prisons pose unique medical challenges that deserve special attention.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS
On July 25, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing on S. 1016, the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act. Many senators voiced their agreement that granting public safety officers collective bargaining rights is only fair.
Senator Kennedy remembered when his brother, Pres. John F. Kennedy, issued an executive order in 1962 – which was ultimately codified into law in the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 — granting federal employees the right to bargain collectively. Once that right was exercised and no problems arose, “everyone wondered why it hadn’t been done before,” he said.
In a statement for the record submitted at the hearing, AFSCME asserted that public safety officers deserve the same right to discuss workplace issues with their employer – that federal law grants to most other workers. “Our experience in the public safety field has demonstrated that the collective bargaining process is a tried-and-true method of improving communication among line corrections officers and upper management,” our statement declared.
BILLS RACE CLOCK
Two bills that would benefit COs were approved by the House and are awaiting further action.
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H.R. 4033, re-authorization of the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program will allow states to use federal grant funds to purchase stab-proof vests for COs. The bill passed in the House, and action is pending in the Senate. |
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H.R. 2059, Public Safety Officers Educational Assistance Act, extends the eligibility date for education grants from 1992 back to 1978 for spouses or children of COs killed or severely disabled in the line of duty. The bill is awaiting action by the full House. The Senate passed the measure May 15. |
‘RELIGIOUS LIBERTY’ PASSES SENATE
The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000, S. 2869, passed the Senate despite strong opposition by ACU. The measure would raise the burden of proof corrections officers and administrators must provide in restricting an inmate’s “religious” practices. In floor remarks aimed at the bill’s sponsor — Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) — Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) expressed concern that S. 2869, applied in federal, state and local prisons, “could encourage prisoners and the courts to second guess the decisions of our corrections employees and other prison officials.” Reid also cited phone calls from State of Nevada Employees Association (SNEA)/AFSCME Local 4041 COs who voiced their opinion that the legislation would negatively affect their ability to maintain security and protect the safety of the public.
At the urging of AFSCME, the two senators reached an agreement calling for a hearing on the impact the legislation could have on “our nation’s penal institutions and dedicated employees.” The hearing will provide an opportunity for corrections administrators and officers to air their concerns about safety. The measure passed the House and was cleared for the White House July 27.
PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF VALOR
President Clinton signed an executive order on June 30 establishing a “Presidential Medal of Valor for Public Safety Officers.” It applies to COs and may be given posthumously. The attorney general may recommend up to 10 people annually to receive the award.
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