[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 31 (Friday, February 26, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H954]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           ERIC WILLIAMS CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS PROTECTION ACT

  (Mr. PAULSEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, our Nation's correctional officers risk 
their safety every day in order to keep prisoners, visitors, and other 
officers safe.
  In most Federal prisons, there are only one or two officers on duty 
in a cell block, meaning officers are guarding nearly 130 prisoners 
with virtually nothing to protect themselves.
  We have seen the reality of this situation with the death of 
Correctional Officer Eric Williams, who was murdered by an inmate at a 
Pennsylvania prison. In addition, last year more than 2,500 weapons 
were confiscated from inmates in Federal prisons.
  The Bureau of Prisons is currently operating a 1-year pilot program 
that allows correctional officers in some Federal prisons to carry 
pepper spray for protection.
  Mr. Speaker, this week the House passed the Eric Williams 
Correctional Officers Protection Act, legislation that I have 
supported, to expand this pilot program to medium-security prisons and 
require a training course before they can use this pepper spray.
  We need to provide our correctional officers the tools they need to 
protect themselves and others.

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