§60103 Federal Regulation of Prisoner Transport Companies

Summary

The Attorney General must create rules, within 180 days of December 21, 2000, about moving violent prisoners across state lines. The Attorney General must work with the American Correctional Association and the private prisoner transport industry to make the rules. The rules must cover: background checks and pre‑hire drug tests that bar people with felony or domestic‑violence convictions (as defined in 18 U.S.C. 921); up to 100 hours of pre‑service training on restraints, searches, use of force and weapons, CPR, map reading, and defensive driving; limits on work hours no stricter than rules under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act; staffing levels with no more than 1 guard per 6 violent prisoners unless a contract requires more; uniforms with badges; bright clothing categories for some violent prisoners; use of leg shackles and double‑locked handcuffs when appropriate; 24‑hour notice to local police for scheduled stops; immediate notice to local police and the contracting government if a prisoner escapes; and minimum prisoner safety standards under federal and state law. Except for the bright‑clothing rule, these rules cannot be tougher than the rules that apply without exception to the U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Prisons, and the Immigration and Naturalization Service in similar situations.