[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 256 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 256

     Expressing the sense of Congress with regard to Lifer Groups.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 31, 1998

 Mr. Conyers submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
     Expressing the sense of Congress with regard to Lifer Groups.

Whereas wardens have found that prisoners serving life terms (lifers) tend to be 
        more reliable and less prone to disruptive behavior than most other 
        prisoners;
Whereas lifers have been organizing themselves into Lifer Groups since the 
        1960's;
Whereas Lifer Groups have been vehicles for many imaginative and creative 
        programs by prisoners, including--
            (1) counseling programs for inner city youths at risk;
            (2) workshop programs supplying prosthetic and other equipment to 
        hospitals and health centers and toys to child care centers and 
        children's hospitals; and
            (3) providing entertainment and cultural awareness to their fellow 
        prisoners in the form of dramatic productions and poetry groups;
Whereas the products and programs that Lifer Groups produce are conspicuous 
        examples of prisoner accomplishment, achieved in democratic 
        organizations, and therefore serve as models for other prisoners to 
        emulate;
Whereas members of Lifer Groups are frequently able to calm and counsel young 
        offenders, thus aiding the preservation of order in our prisons;
Whereas with the increasing number of life sentences and the virtual elimination 
        of parole for lifers, those serving life sentences will make up an 
        increasing proportion of our prison population;
Whereas with increasing numbers of lifers facing the certainty of dying in 
        prison, there is danger that previously cooperative and dependable 
        prisoners will become a less useful, and even antagonistic population;
Whereas a lively, vibrant Lifer Group will do much to prevent this result, at 
        the same time providing prisoners with a chance to partially recompense 
        society for the wrong they have done; and
Whereas Lifer Groups need as much autonomy, self-financing, and outside 
        sponsorship as is consistent with security: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that the departments of corrections of 
the various States and the Bureau of Prisons of the Federal Government 
should encourage the formation of Lifer Groups in penal institutions 
and provide as much help for them as is possible and consistent with 
their reasonable organizational autonomy.
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