Sheila Jackson Lee: “I thank the chairman for his courtesies. I thank the manager, as well, for rising for this important legislation, which…”

“I thank the chairman for his courtesies. I thank the manager, as well, for rising for this important legislation, which is, of course, S. 1541, the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act. As the chair of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, I see these issues in terms of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Obviously, these issues are rampant in State prisons, as well. What is the basis of the issue? It is family. It is family connectedness. We have heard over and over again how exorbitant the cost is for grandmothers, mothers and fathers, and sisters and brothers to keep connections to individuals who, yes, have committed a crime, have been convicted, and are incarcerated, but they should not have been left out of the circle of humanity and family and the ability to stay connected. This particular person, Martha Wright-Reed, is a person who has been an advocate. But the story surrounds a grandmother who wanted to be involved with her grandson and wound up spending thousands of dollars to be able to communicate, to keep that grandson realizing that even though he had steered in a different direction, maybe a wrong direction, she wanted to make sure that that grandson knew that he was loved and that he had a future.…”