[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 20, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H4265-H4266]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


           NATIONAL CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES WEEK

  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree 
to the resolution (H. Res. 180) supporting the goals and ideals of 
``National Correctional Officers and Employees Week'' and honoring the 
service of correctional officers and employees.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 180

       Whereas the operation of correctional facilities represents 
     a crucial component of the criminal justice system of the 
     United States;
       Whereas correctional personnel play a vital role in 
     protecting the rights of the public to be safeguarded from 
     criminal activity;
       Whereas correctional personnel are responsible for the 
     care, custody, and dignity of the human beings charged to 
     their care;
       Whereas correctional personnel work under demanding 
     circumstances and face danger in their daily work lives; and
       Whereas S. Res. 24 of the 108th Congress, as agreed to on 
     March 12, 2003, designates the week beginning May 4, 2003, as 
     ``National Correctional Officers and Employees Week'': Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of ``National 
     Correctional Officers and Employees Week''; and
       (2) honors all correctional officers and employees for 
     their service to their communities, States, and the Nation.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. 
Scott) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. 
Sensenbrenner).


                             General Leave

  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 180.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Wisconsin?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support House Resolution 180, honoring 
corrections officers and employees for the good work they do each and 
every day. This resolution passed the Committee on the Judiciary 
unanimously, and it is an appropriate expression of congressional 
support for this critical aspect of our criminal justice system.
  These men and women work each day to protect society from the real 
threat of criminal activity. They risk their lives ensuring that we are 
safe. They maintain peace and order in a dangerous place, while at the 
same time ensuring the needs of one of the most difficult groups in 
society are addressed. It is not often that we get the opportunity to 
thank them for the good work they do.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in fully supporting this 
resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 180, introduced by the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Strickland), along with our colleagues, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Sweeney), the gentleman from Wisconsin 
(Mr. Green), and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Holden).
  H. Res. 180 is a bipartisan resolution designed to honor correctional 
officers and employees by acknowledging and supporting the goals and 
ideals of National Correctional Officers and Employees Week. The 
resolution directly honors correctional workers at all levels, local, 
State and Federal, including psychologists, chaplains, teachers, and 
kitchen staff.
  Correctional officers and employees play a vital role in protecting 
and promoting public safety. They work in our county jails, in our 
State prisons and Federal penitentiaries. They have a tough job to do 
in a tough environment. And with the emphasis that Congress and State 
legislators have placed on eliminating incentive programs for inmates, 
such as parole, good conduct credits and funding for college courses, 
that job has been made only tougher.
  Recently, by reducing inmate jobs in the Federal prison industries 
program, even more pressure will be put on correctional officers to 
maintain a safe and productive environment for prisons.
  So it is fitting, Mr. Speaker, that we pause at this time to 
recognize and commend our correctional workers and employees for the 
very important job they do. To them we say thank you.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from North Carolina (Mr. Coble).
  Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding me time.
  Mr. Speaker, as we perhaps know, at the beginning of May we kicked 
off National Correctional Officers and Employees Week. It is in this 
week we recognize correctional officers and employees across the Nation 
and applaud their dedication and service to our country. They are often 
asked to work long hours serving the public, and in the past few years 
we have asked them to work even more difficult schedules.
  Statistics from the Bureau of Justice indicate that we are housing 
more and more men and women in prisons and jails than ever before. As 
an aside, Mr. Speaker, prison overcrowding is another issue that 
warrants our consistent attention.
  As we focus on taking the most dangerous elements of our society off 
the streets, it is the correctional officer and the employee upon whom 
we rely to maintain order and assure safety.
  Correctional officers' and employees' daily duties to safeguard the 
public and the incarcerated are oftentimes dangerous. I gladly support 
H. Res. 180, which encourages the goals of the National Correctional 
Officers and Employees Week. This resolution recognizes the exemplary 
work done by correctional officers and the employees across the Nation.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Strickland), the sponsor of the 
legislation.
  Mr. STRICKLAND. Mr. Speaker, as a cochair of the Congressional 
Correctional Officers Caucus, I rise today to honor correctional 
officers and employees of correctional facilities across our country.
  Earlier this month, correctional officers came here to Washington to 
celebrate National Correctional Officers and Employees Week. Awards 
were presented to officers whose exceptional service merited special 
recognition, and wreaths were laid in memory of fallen comrades who had 
made the ultimate sacrifice while on duty.
  Correctional facilities are a critical component of our public safety 
and criminal justice systems. We rely on correctional facilities to do 
just that, correct the errant behavior of certain members of our 
society. But prisons and jails are more than just buildings. They are 
made up of correctional officers and other personnel who are highly 
trained to work in a challenging and often dangerous environment.
  I worked for many years as a psychologist at a maximum security 
prison in Ohio, and the respect I gained for my coworkers during that 
time is enormous. First and foremost, correctional officers are public 
servants. The officers with whom I have had the honor of being 
acquainted give back to their communities in countless ways.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the House of Representatives is 
joining together to honor these men and women who work for our 
government at the Federal, State, and local levels.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from Wisconsin (Mr. Green).
  Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding me time. I would like to associate myself with the remarks 
just made by my colleague from the other side.
  Mr. Speaker, correctional facilities obviously play a fundamental 
role in our justice system. As the gentleman said, they are much more 
than buildings. Without correctional officers, those buildings would be 
of little value.
  The people that we are talking about are dedicated and hard-working 
professionals. They ensure the safety and the secure operation of our 
justice system every single day. It goes without saying that they have 
a difficult and very often dangerous job. They work in the most 
challenging of environments. They work with people who are already 
proven to have little regard for others,

[[Page H4266]]

for their property, for their safety, for their security. So it is a 
challenging venue.
  We do not think very much about what takes place in correctional 
facilities, and perhaps that is the greatest testimony that we can 
possibly make on behalf of our correctional officers. We do not think 
often about those facilities, because we do not have to. They do such a 
great job, they are so dedicated to the smooth operation of the system, 
they take on for us what is a difficult and challenging function.
  Mr. Speaker, it is important that we honor them. They are true public 
servants. They deserve our support. They deserve all the honor and 
respect that we give them. So with that, I am pleased to join in 
supporting this resolution.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Ohio and the 
gentleman from Wisconsin for sponsoring this resolution, and I urge 
Members to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 180.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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