Regarding the Jan. 18 article, “Bill would not allow public money for inmates’ personal supplies”:
Rep. Kirk Pearson’s bill would end the practice of the state paying for certain items from the prison commissary for indigent inmates, including for the purchase of cigarettes. There is no smoking allowed inside the prison for anyone so obviously there are no cigarettes to be purchased in the commissary.
A recent article about a cost-saving issue concerning inmate clothing described how all the clothing that is accumulated from inmates that leave the prison is reused. What the article did not mention was that all items of clothing are required to be state-issued. The long-time practice of permitting clothing to be sent in from outside by family — at no cost to the state — has been rescinded. (Why?)
Bernie Warner, director of prisons for the state Department of Corrections, recently wrote of budget issues at the Monroe prison: “Offenders now operate organic gardens to supplement their diets.” Mr. Warner, why is the Monroe Honor Farm no longer used to supply food for the prison system, if not as a dairy, then cultivated for other agricultural uses?
Mr. Warner also wrote: “Most staff members (interpret — hourly — low paid) must take one-day temporary layoffs each month.” I would suggest that by legislative action or the governor’s fiat, a similar sacrifice be required by the higher paid state employees. Example: All state employees with a salary of $100,000 to $150,000 be given a 2 percent “unpaid holiday.” Those in the $150,000 to $200,000 bracket take a 5 percent holiday and those above $200,000 a 7.5 percent holiday.
Byron Backstrom
Everett
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