WHEREAS:

            Previous Federal legislation has recognized the value of law enforcement personnel by passing educational assistance, stress education, counseling, and critical incident response programs. Other legislative initiatives have provided for programs to be developed on stress education for family members and for marital and adolescent support groups; and

WHEREAS:

            With the exception of the Public Safety Officer's Benefit Act, correctional officers have been excluded from laws benefiting other law enforcement personnel. Yet, correctional officers play a vital role in providing for the security of their fellow citizens.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

            That AFSCME will work to ensure that the federal government understands and acknowledges the critical function that correctional officers fulfill in the law enforcement system of the United States; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

            That AFSCME will work to extend existing Federal laws that benefit law enforcement personnel to correctional officers; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

            That AFSCME will work to have correctional officers included in future federal legislation that benefits other law enforcement personnel.

SUBMITTED BY:      

Henry Bayer, Executive Director and Delegate 
AFSCME Council 31 
Illinois