§ 2191. — Cruelty to seamen.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 18USC2191]
TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 107--SEAMEN AND STOWAWAYS
Sec. 2191. Cruelty to seamen
Whoever, being the master or officer of a vessel of the United
States, on the high seas, or on any other waters within the admiralty
and maritime jurisdiction of the United States, flogs, beats, wounds, or
without justifiable cause, imprisons any of the crew of such vessel, or
withholds from them suitable food and nourishment, or inflicts upon them
any corporal or other cruel and unusual punishment, shall be fined under
this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 800; Pub. L. 104-294, title VI,
Sec. 601(a)(8), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3498.)
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Sec. 482 and section 712 of
title 46, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Shipping (Dec. 21, 1898, ch. 28, Sec. 22, 30
Stat. 761; Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, Sec. 291, 35 Stat. 1145).
Section consolidates section 482 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., and
the following language from section 712 of title 46, U.S.C., 1940 ed.,
Shipping, prohibiting flogging and corporal punishment: ``and any master
or other officer thereof who shall violate the aforesaid provisions of
this section, or either thereof, shall be deemed guilty of a
misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for not less than three months
nor more than two years.'' That language was the basis for the addition
of the word ``flogs'' and the words ``any corporal or other'' for the
word ``any.'' The punishment imposed by section 482 was adopted as that
was the later statute as incorporated in 1909 Criminal Code.
Words ``shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor,'' contained in said
section 712 of title 46, were omitted in view of definitive section 1 of
this title.
Minor changes were made in phraseology.
Amendments
1996--Pub. L. 104-294 substituted ``fined under this title'' for
``fined not more than $1,000''.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in title 46 section 11507.
