The Unauthorized Randy “Duke” Cunningham Page

The "No Frills Prison Act" was introduced in the 104th Congress as H. R. 663 on Jan. 24, 1995. The next day Cunningham became an early co-sponsor. The bill didn't pass, but is quite entertaining to read. In the spirit of "practicing what you preach", I think the Duke should pledge to voluntarily follow the provisions of the law he proposed. What do you think?

Text (from http://thomas.loc.gov/):

H. R. 663
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 104th CONGRESS 1st Session January 24, 1995

A BILL
To amend the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to prevent luxurious conditions in prisons.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `No Frills Prison Act' .

SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF LUXURIOUS PRISON CONDITIONS.
(a) STATES- Section 20102(a) of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 is amended—
. . .
(6) by adding at the end the following:
`(2) provides living conditions and opportunities to prisoners within its prisons that are not more luxurious than those conditions and opportunities the average prisoner would have experienced if such prisoner were not incarcerated, and does not provide to any such prisoner—
`(A)(i) earned good time credits;
`(ii) less than 40 hours a week of work that either offsets or reduces the expenses of keeping the prisoner or provides resources toward restitution of victims;
`(iii) unmonitored phone calls, except when between the prisoner and the prisoner's immediate family or legal counsel;
`(iv) in-cell television viewing;
`(v) the viewing of R, X, or NC-17 rated movies, through whatever medium presented;
`(vi) possession of any pornographic materials;
`(vii) any instruction (live or through broadcasts) or training equipment for boxing, wrestling, judo, karate, or other martial art, or any bodybuilding or weightlifting equipment of any sort;
`(viii) except for use during required work, the use or possession of any electric or electronic musical instrument, or practice on any musical instrument for more than one hour a day;
`(ix) use of personally owned computers or modems;
`(x) possession of in-cell coffee pots, hot plates, or heating elements;
`(xi) any living or work quarters into which the outside view is obstructed;
`(xii) food exceeding in quality or quantity that which is available to enlisted personnel in the United States Army;
`(xiii) dress or hygiene, grooming and appearance other than those allowed as uniform or standard in the prison ; or
`(xiv) equipment or facilities at public expense for publishing or broadcasting content not previously approved by prison officials as consistent with prison order and prisoner discipline;
. . .

$2,400,000 divided by 10 years equals $240,000 per year divided by 365 days equals $657.53 per day divided by 24 hours per day equals $27.40 per hour.

$27.40 for each hour of the next 10 years. Not bad. With the small exception that in 2016 the money and 10 years of your life are gone.

Talk about your Voodoo Economics!

Bills like this "No Frills Prison Act" and the flag burning amendment show why the ultra right is so dangerous. This kind of b.s. legislation is why we need balanced representation.