[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 112 (Friday, July 25, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1608]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE PEOPLE OF LASALLE PARISH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. RODNEY ALEXANDER

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 24, 2003

  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. Speaker I rise today to honor the people of 
LaSalle Parish for their tireless efforts to bring economic development 
to Northern Louisiana. Since I came to Congress, I have been working 
with local officials to encourage the Federal Government to use an 
empty prison located in the Town of Jena, Louisiana, and I have been 
impressed by their vigorous commitment to see their community prosper.
  Recently, officials from the Department of Justice and the White 
House toured the LaSalle Correctional Facility to study the possibility 
of using this vacant prison as a place to detain illegal aliens or low-
security Federal inmates. I had the pleasure of accompanying these 
officials on this tour and was personally impressed with the state-of-
the-art, recently-constructed prison and its design. Furthermore, the 
prison is situated near two existing Federal prisons and a short drive 
from the U.S. Marshal's transportation hub in Alexandria. I believe its 
location and its design make the prison a logical choice for use by the 
Federal Government.
  Mr. Speaker, I also wish to draw attention to two provisions 
contained in the Committee Report accompanying the Commerce, Justice, 
State, and the Judiciary Appropriations Bill we passed yesterday 
afternoon. These two provisions should benefit LaSalle Parish because 
they give the Federal Government the authority to use an empty private 
prison, such as the LaSalle Correctional Facility. One provision 
directs the Office of the Federal Detention Trustee to use existing 
state, local, and private detention space to house excess detainees; 
the other provision directs the Bureau of Prisons to use existing 
state, private, and local prison capacity to house excess BOP inmates. 
I want to thank my colleague from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter), the Vice 
Chairman of the Commerce, Justice, State, and Judiciary Appropriations 
Subcommittee for the strong support he has provided to these efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, my colleague and I are working through both legislation 
and old-fashioned persuasion to get the LaSalle Correctional Facility 
back in use. This is a win-win situation for everyone involved. We can 
help our law enforcement agencies with their overcrowding problems and 
do so at a fraction of the cost it takes to build a new prison. Also, 
we can bring jobs and economic growth to Northern Louisiana. These 
provisions in the CJSJ Committee Report can really help us to re-open 
this facility, and I trust the two agencies will pay heed to this 
directive. I know my Louisiana colleagues in both the Senate and the 
House will join me in fighting to see that we make real progress on 
this issue, which is of such great importance to the honest, hard-
working people of my district.




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