USA Patriot Act 2001

The U.S. legislation known as the Patriot Act became law on October 26, 2001, a little more than one month after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The Patriot Act does not directly address or revise any areas in corrections other than specifying terms of imprisonment for particular crimes. However, it does modify the enforcement of U.S. law. The result may be a larger population of political and/or Muslim prisoners [Page 986]in U.S. correctional institutions, although this remains to be seen.

The full title of the Patriot Act is Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001. The act has 10 sections, or “titles,” each of which maps out a specific topic. These titles are as follows: Title I, Enhancing Domestic Security Against Terrorism; Title II, Enhanced Surveillance Procedures; Title III, International Money Laundering Abatement and Antiterrorist Financing Act of 2001; Title IV, Protecting the Border; Title V, Removing Obstacles to Investigating Terrorism; Title VI, Providing for Victims of Terrorism, Public Safety Officers, and Their Families; Title VII, Increased Information Sharing for Critical Infrastructure Protection; Title VIII, Strengthening the Criminal Laws Against Terrorism; Title IX, Improved Intelligence; and Title X, Miscellaneous.

The stated purpose of the Patriot Act is to empower the government to detect and suppress terrorism. Parts of the act expand the government's powers in the areas of surveillance and intelligence gathering. The bill also toughens penalties for those who assist terrorists.