TH ST CONGRESS SESSION H. R. 169

I

H. R. 169 105TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION

To amend the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to prevent luxurious conditions in prisons.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 7, 1997 Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mrs. EMERSON, Mr.

LOBIONDO, Mr. MCHALE, Mr. NORWOOD, Mr. GRAHAM, and Mr. ROYCE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To amend the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to prevent luxurious conditions in prisons.

1

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-

2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4

This Act may be cited as the ``No Frills Prison Act''.

5 SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF LUXURIOUS PRISON CONDITIONS.

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(a) STATES.--Section 20102(a) of the Violent Crime

7 Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 is amended--

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(1) by inserting ``(A)'' after ``(1)'';

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(2) by redesignating existing paragraph (2) as

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subparagraph (B);

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(3) by redesignating existing subparagraphs (A)

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through (D) as clauses (i) through (iv) respectively;

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(4) by redesignating existing clauses (i) and (ii)

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as subclauses (I) and (II);

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(5) by striking the period at the end and insert-

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ing ``; and''; and

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(6) by adding at the end the following:

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``(2) provides living conditions and opportuni-

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ties to prisoners within its prisons that are not more

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luxurious than those conditions and opportunities

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the average prisoner would have experienced if such

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prisoner were not incarcerated, and does not provide

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to any such prisoner--

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``(A)(i) earned good time credits;

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``(ii) less than 40 hours a week of work

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that either offsets or reduces the expenses of

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keeping the prisoner or provides resources to-

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ward restitution of victims;

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``(iii) unmonitored phone calls, except when

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between the prisoner and the prisoner's imme-

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diate family or legal counsel;

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``(iv) in-cell television viewing;

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``(v) the viewing of R, X, or NC?17 rated

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movies, through whatever medium presented;

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``(vi) possession of any pornographic mate-

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rials;

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``(vii) any instruction (live or through

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broadcasts) or training equipment for boxing,

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wrestling, judo, karate, or other martial art, or

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any bodybuilding or weightlifting equipment of

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any sort;

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``(viii) except for use during required work,

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the use or possession of any electric or elec-

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tronic musical instrument, or practice on any

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musical instrument for more than one hour a

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day;

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``(ix) use of personally owned computers or

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modems;

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``(x) possession of in-cell coffee pots, hot

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plates, or heating elements;

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``(xi) any living or work quarters into

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which the outside view is obstructed;

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``(xii) food exceeding in quality or quantity

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that which is available to enlisted personnel in

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the United States Army;

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``(xiii) dress or hygiene, grooming and ap-

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pearance other than those allowed as uniform

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or standard in the prison; or

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``(xiv) equipment or facilities at public ex-

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pense for publishing or broadcasting content

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not previously approved by prison officials as

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consistent with prison order and prisoner dis-

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cipline; and

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``(B) in the case of a prisoner who is serv-

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ing a sentence for a crime of violence which re-

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sulted in serious bodily injury to another--

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``(i) housing other than in separate

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cell blocks intended for violent prisoners

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and designed to emphasis punishment

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rather than rehabilitation;

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``(ii) less than 9 hours a day of phys-

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ical labor, with confinement to cell for any

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refusing to engage in that labor, but a

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prisoner not physically able to do physical

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labor may be assigned to alternate labor;

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``(iii) any temporary furlough, leave,

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excursion, or other release from the prison

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for any purpose, unless the prisoner re-

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mains at all times under physical or me-

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chanical restraints, such as handcuffs, and

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under the constant escort and immediate

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supervision of at least one armed correc-

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tional officer;

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``(iv) any viewing of television;

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``(v) any inter-prison travel for com-

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petitive sports, whether as a participant or

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spectator;

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``(vi) more than one hour a day spent

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in sports or exercise; or

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``(vii) possession of personal property

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exceeding 75 pounds in total weight or

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that cannot be stowed in a standard size

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United States military issue duffel bag.''.

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(b) FEDERAL.--

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(1) GENERALLY.--The Attorney General shall

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by rule establish conditions in the Federal prison

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system that, as nearly as may be, are the same as

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those conditions required in State prisons under sec-

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tion 20102(a) of the Violent Crime Control and Law

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Enforcement Act of 1994 as amended by this

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section.

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(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.--Section 3624

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of title 18, United States Code, is amended by strik-

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ing subsection (b).

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