Fun_People Archive
13 Jan
WA House Bill 1054

Date: Fri, 13 Jan 95 00:36:31 PST
From: Peter Langston <psl>
To: Fun_People
Subject: WA House Bill 1054

From: Daniel Roth Tenenbaum <dante@halcyon.com>

I have just been informed of the existence of House Bill 1054 which would 
eliminate Extended Family Visiting programs from the state's prisons. The 
bill also removes cable television. The bill claims that these programs 
are eliminated primarily as a cost-cutting measure but I question how 
much they cost (in dollars) while knowing that the cost to society may be 
greater in the long run if these programs are eliminated.

Extended Family Visits are a program in which a prisoner and his or her 
family members can spend several days together in a trailer on the prison 
grounds. Family members can bring food and children can play Nintendo. 
The program is intended to maintain a prisoner's family ties while he or 
she is deprived of his or her liberty.

The current reactionary trend of portraying criminals as animals is 
rapidly becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy as prisoners are deprived of 
the social contacts that just might keep them from succumbing to the 
atmosphere of hopeless violence in prisons. Much as it might seem futile 
to protest these policies, I urge you to contact your state 
legisislators, particularly the sponsors of this bill: 
Padden, Goldsmith, Schoesler, Chappell, Robertson, Furhman, Campbell, and 
Sheldon. Their telephone numbers can be obtained from the Chief Clerk in 
Olympia at 1-206-786-7750. The bill is going before the Corrections 
committee, whose chair, Ida Ballasloites (sp?) can be reached at 
1-206-786-7750.

The bill, HB 1054, is reprinted below thanks to the Washington State 
Government's online database which can be reached by ftp or gopher at 
leginfo.leg.wa.gov or on the World Wide Web at http://leginfo.leg.wa.gov.

Please make a call and voice your opinion. 
Thanks,
Dan

---------- Forwarded message ----------

H-0640.1   _______________________________________________

                           HOUSE BILL 1054
           _______________________________________________

State of Washington       54th Legislature       1995 Regular Session

By Representatives Padden, Goldsmith, Delvin, Schoesler, Chappell,
Robertson, Fuhrman, Campbell and Sheldon

Prefiled 1/6/95.  Read first time 01/09/95.  Referred to Committee on
Corrections.



    AN ACT Relating to corrections cost reductions by restriction of
adult offender privileges; adding new sections to chapter 72.09 RCW;
and creating new sections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    {+ NEW SECTION. +}  Sec. 1.  FINDINGS AND INTENT.  (1) The
legislature finds that due to the upwardly spiraling cost of housing,
maintaining, and supervising inmates in our state corrections
facilities, the department of corrections must identify cost-cutting
strategies that target waste and inefficiencies while maintaining clear
and effective punishment and rehabilitation goals. 
    The legislature further finds that the programs, amenities, and
activities available to inmates in our state correctional institutions
should reflect the strong moral values and ideals that contribute to
the betterment of society and promote good citizenship.

    {+ NEW SECTION. +}  Sec. 2.  EXTENDED FAMILY VISITATION.  The
department shall eliminate all extended family visitation facilities in
existing facilities and shall not include extended family visitation
facilities or accommodations in any department facilities planned for
construction. 
    The department shall establish a family visitation site in each
facility that can accommodate monitored nonovernight family visitation.

    {+ NEW SECTION. +}  Sec. 3.  OBSCENE, EROTIC, AND VIOLENT MATERIAL. 
All obscene, erotic, or excessively violent films, video tapes,
magazines, books, and any other printed materials, or materials deemed
obscene, erotic, or excessively violent shall be prohibited from all
correctional facilities and shall be considered contraband and must be
removed from the inmates' mail, possession, and cells.  In addition,
any obscene, erotic, or excessively violent materials shall be removed
from the libraries, meeting rooms, and all other areas of the state
correctional facilities where inmates may have access to these
materials.  The only exception for allowing these materials for inmates
shall be for the use in treatment or therapy sessions as prescribed by
a physician or certified therapist.
    For the purposes of this section, "obscene, erotic, or excessively
violent materials" is defined as:  Printed material, photographs,
pictures, motion pictures, sound recordings, and any other materials
relating to the description or representation of sexual matters, sado-
masochistic abuse, or excessive violence.

    {+ NEW SECTION. +}  Sec. 4.  CABLE AND CLOSED-CIRCUIT TELEVISION. 
All cable or closed-circuit television shall be prohibited in state
correctional facilities unless used expressly for the purpose of
education and approved by the superintendent of public instruction.  No
new correctional facilities or expanded portions of existing state or
local facilities shall be constructed with cable or closed-circuit
readiness.

    {+ NEW SECTION. +}  Sec. 5.  ALLOCATION OF SAVINGS.  All funds
saved through the cost-cutting measures contained in sections 2 through
4 of this act shall be maintained in a department account and used by
the legislature for any combination of the following funding
categories: Crime victims' compensation and treatment, prison
industries expansion, child-at-risk programs, drugs and alcohol
rehabilitation, other state or local criminal justice funding, or a
savings account for future criminal justice needs.  Placing these
savings into the general fund or other funding areas shall be
prohibited.

    {+ NEW SECTION. +}  Sec. 6.  CODIFICATION.  Sections 2 through 5 of
this act are each added to chapter 72.09 RCW.

    {+ NEW SECTION. +}  Sec. 7.  CAPTIONS.  Captions as used in this
act shall not constitute any part of the law.

    {+ NEW SECTION. +}  Sec. 8.  SEVERABILITY.  If any provision of
this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held
invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision
to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

                             --- END ---
Fun_People Archive 13 JanWA House Bill 1054

Fun_People Archive
13 Jan
WA House Bill 1054
