[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 9, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E996]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS AND 
                             EMPLOYEES WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. TIM HOLDEN

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 7, 2007

  Mr. HOLDEN. Mr. Speaker, as a co-chair of the Congressional 
Correctional Officers Caucus, I rise today to honor correctional 
officers and employees of correctional facilities across our country.
  May 6, 2007 kicked off the National Correctional Officers and 
Employees Week. Throughout the week, correctional officers will be here 
in Washington to speak with their elected officials, present awards to 
officers whose exceptional service merits special recognition, and 
honor the memory of fallen comrades who had made the ultimate sacrifice 
while on duty.
  I am proud to sponsor House Resolution 264, along with my colleagues, 
the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. LoBiondo, the gentleman from 
Indiana, Mr. Ellsworth, and the gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Davis. H. 
Res. 264 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 facilities are a critical component of our public safety 
and criminal justice systems. We rely on correctional facilities to 
mend the behavior of certain members of our society. To do that, these 
facilities must rely on correctional officers and other personnel who 
are highly trained to work in a challenging and often dangerous 
environment. Before coming to Congress I had the honor of working 
alongside these men and women when I served as a probation officer and 
then Sheriff of Schuylkill County, which houses a Federal and state 
prison. The respect I gained for these public servants is indescribable 
and I thank them for the countless ways they benefit our communities.
  Correctional officers and staff work each day to protect society from 
the threat of criminal activity. They risk their lives ensuring that we 
are safe. They maintain order in a dangerous place and ensure the basic 
needs of one of the most difficult groups in society are addressed. Mr. 
Speaker, it is not often that we get the opportunity to thank them for 
the good work they do and I commend my colleagues in the House or 
Representatives for passing House Resolution 264.

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