Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2013

Floor Speech

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Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

The Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2000 directed the Bureau of Justice Statistics within the Department of Justice to collect data on the deaths that occur at two important stages in the criminal justice system: first, deaths that occur in the process of arrest or during the transfer after arrest; and, second, deaths that occur in jails and prisons. The provisions of that act expired in December 2006.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 885 inmates died in the custody of local jails in 2011. This is the lowest number of jail inmate deaths in the 12-year history of the Deaths in Custody Reporting program.

Nearly nine out of 10 State prisoner deaths were as a result of natural causes, the leading reason being cancer and heart disease. Although illness-related deaths have increased slightly in recent years, the homicide and suicide rates in State prisons have dramatically decreased over the last 25 years.

H.R. 1447 reauthorizes this data collection program and directs the Attorney General not only to collect the data, but also to study the data to determine how to reduce deaths in custody in the future. The legislation extends the reporting requirements to deaths that occur in Federal custody.

Although the Death in Custody Reporting Act expired in 2006, the Bureau of Justice Statistics has continued to collect this data. They provide a national resource for understanding mortality in the criminal justice system.

The collection of this data will help the Federal, State, and local governments examine the relationships between deaths in custody and the proper management of jail and prison facilities. It will also provide important information to Congress on any need to improve Federal custody procedures.

Because the Bureau of Justice Statistics has continued to collect the information even though the prior law has expired, this bill will not impose any new cost on the agency. Congress passed similar legislation in three Congresses with overwhelming bipartisan support.

I would like to thank Congressman Scott for introducing this legislation, and I would urge all my colleagues to support it.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I just want to close up here by thanking both the gentleman from Virginia, Congressman Scott, and Congresswoman Jackson Lee from Texas for their passion and for working hard on this.

This is a good way for our Judiciary Committee to end the year, on something we can agree upon that is a good thing. And I do appreciate the opportunity to be here. I would encourage all of my colleagues to support this fine piece of legislation.

And with that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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