Tim Scott: “Mr. Speaker, this bill, S. 1898, is the Interstate Transportation of Dangerous Criminals Act of 2000, also known as…”

“Mr. Speaker, this bill, S. 1898, is the Interstate Transportation of Dangerous Criminals Act of 2000, also known as Jeanna's Act, which passed the other body by unanimous consent on October 25 of this year. Every year thousands of violent felons are moved from prison to prison on our Nation's highways. Many of these criminals are transported by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. However, as the number of criminals in State prisons continues to rise, many States now rely heavily on private prisoner transportation companies to move prisoners from State to State. Because there is no uniform set of standards and procedures for these prisoner transport companies to follow, the results are sometimes disastrous when prisoners escape. A major reason for escapes from prisoner transport companies is the lack of approved standards for the private transport of dangerous prisoners. Anyone with a vehicle and a driver's license can engage in this business and with very little accountability when things go wrong. S. 1898 seeks to increase public safety by requiring the Attorney General to establish minimum standards and requirements for companies engaging in the business of transporting violent offenders.”