Cite as: 533 U. S. 146 (2001)
Opinion of the Court
tioner 1, n. 1. Cf. Hill, 528 U. S., at 114-115 (holding that defendant may waive his rights under Art. III of the Agreement). Rather, Alabama, supported by the United States Solicitor General and others, claims that Article IV(e)'s basic purpose is to prevent shuttling that would interrupt the prisoner's rehabilitation. See, e. g., United States v. Roy, 830 F. 2d 628, 636 (CA7 1987) (provision is "meant to protect the prisoner against endless interruption of the rehabilitation programs because of criminal proceedings in other jurisdictions"). They say the one-day interruption that occurred here did not interrupt rehabilitation significantly. Hence, any violation is "technical," "harmless," or "de minimis." And Article IV(e) contains an implicit exception for such trivial violations. Brief for Petitioner 26; Brief for United States as Amicus Curiae 12-13. Cf. Wisconsin Dept. of Revenue v. William Wrigley, Jr., Co., 505 U. S. 214, 231 (1992) (laws ordinarily are enacted with understanding that de minimis exceptions will be recognized). We cannot accept this argument, however, for two reasons.
A
First, the language of the Agreement militates against an implicit exception, for it is absolute. It says that, when a prisoner is "returned" before trial, the indictment, information, or complaint "shall not be of any further force or effect, and the court shall enter an order dismissing the same with prejudice." Art. IV(e) (emphasis added). "The word 'shall' is ordinarily 'the language of command.' " Anderson v. Yungkau, 329 U. S. 482, 485 (1947) (quoting Escoe v. Zerbst, 295 U. S. 490, 493 (1935)).
The cases Alabama cites as supporting a "harmless error" construction involved statutes that lacked this absolute language. See, e. g., United States v. Montalvo-Murillo, 495 U. S. 711, 716-717 (1990) (Bail Reform Act "is silent on the issue of a remedy for violations of its time limits"). Cf. William Wrigley, Jr., supra, at 231-232 (applying "de
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