Prisoner Treatment Act

Summary

Prisoner Treatment Act - Establishes the National Prison Standards Administration to promulgate rules on the record to assure: (1) that there shall be no discrimination in prisons on grounds of race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social orgin, or wealth; (2) that different categories or prisoners shall be kept in separate prisons or parts of prisons; (3) that sleeping accommodations shall be in individual cells or rooms whenever possible; (4) that all accommodations provided for the use of prisoners shall be sanitary, healthful, and properly lighted; (5) that prisoners be required to keep their persons clean, and that adequate facilities be made available to that end; (6) that at every prison there shall be available competent medical and psychiatric or psychological counseling services; (7) that discipline and order shll be maintained with firmness; (8) that no prisoner shall be employed in the service of the institution in any disciplinary capacity; (9) that prison discipline shall be determined by law or by the regulation of the prison authorities; (10) that prisonsers subject to punishment of close confinement and the like shall be entitled to certain procedural rights, including the right to a hearing; (11) that corporal punishment, punishment by reduction of diet and punishment by instruments of restraint shall be completely prohibited; (12) that prisoners shall be allowed to make complaints to the Administration; (13) that prisoners shall be entitled to unrestricted mail; (14) that prisoners shall have easy access to visitors, prison regulations, library facilities, news media, and religious services; (15) that proper care shall be taken of a prisoner's personal property; (16) that if a substantial number of prisoners do not speak English, the prison shall employ some individuals who speak and understand the language best understood by those prisoners; (17) that all appropriate means of rehabilitation shall be used; (18) that all adult prisoners who wish to work shall have the opportunity to do so; and (19) that untried prisoners shall sleep singly in separate rooms whenever possible. Enumerates 31 additional standards. Provides that the Administration shall hear the complaint of any prisoner who alleges an infraction, with respect to that prisoner, or with respect to that prisoner and others similarly situated, of the rules promulgated under the authority of this Act. Provides that upon the determination that such infraction has occurred, the Administration may issue a cease and desist order to the appropriate person or agency enforceable by injunction in a United States district court. Authorizes appropriations for the purpose of this Act of $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1972 and for each fiscal year thereafter.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

No timeline events have been ingested for this record yet.

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

1 official file

• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 3 March 1975

  Open at official source

Sponsors

No sponsors or actors listed by the source.

Related records

No cross-record relationships stored yet.