Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2189, ``the Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2011,'' would require Federal law enforcement agencies and States that receive certain Federal funds to report to the Department of Justice (DOJ) any deaths of persons arrested or detained by law enforcement personnel under their jurisdiction. H.R. 2189 directs DOJ to prepare a report, within two years of enactment, on the information provided by Federal agencies and States and on ways to reduce the number of such deaths. As a Senior Member on the Judiciary Committee, I am always concerned about the care of all persons detained by Federal, State, and local authorities. Whenever a death occurs in local jails, State prisons, or during the process of arrests by local and State law enforcement, we must ensure that there are systems in place which can identify the reasons behind each death--in the hope that when possible we can prevent these deaths. The collection of this type of information is a vital first step in this process. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) collects and disseminates this type of data. Originally the program was initiated by The Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2000, upon the expiration of the Act; the BJS continued to collect this information. The BJS needs our support as they represent a unique national resource for understanding mortality in the criminal justice system.…”