Dusty Johnson: “I am pleased the President recently signed into law the Federal Prisoner Health Care Copayment Act. As you know, Senator…”

“I am pleased the President recently signed into law the Federal Prisoner Health Care Copayment Act. As you know, Senator Jon Kyl and I introduced last year a bill to require Federal prisoners to pay a nominal fee when they initiate certain visits for medical attention. Fees collected from prisoners will either be paid as restitution to victims or be deposited into the Federal Crime Victims' Fund. My State of South Dakota is one of 38 States that have implemented State-wide prisoner health care copayment programs. The Department of Justice supported extending this prisoner health care copayment program to Federal prisoners in an attempt to reduce unnecessary medical procedures and ensure that adequate health care services are available for prisoners who need them. My interest in the prisoner health care copayment issue came from discussions I had in South Dakota with a number of law enforcement officials and US Marshal Lyle Swenson about the equitable treatment between pre-sentencing Federal prisoners housed in county jails and the county prisoners residing in those same facilities.”