Food Price Hike Causes Stir At Prisons

[The Straight Story]

Food Price Hike Causes Stir At Prisons
Soda, Candy Prices Up More Than 20 Cents

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Price increases at prison snack shops have angered inmates and caused at least one reported case of violence at a Florida prison.

The state raised prices about three weeks ago under a new contract with an outside company. Since then, the department has gotten at least 60 phone calls and letters from inmates and their families complaining about the hikes.

The Department of Corrections said it's working to see if some prices can be lowered, but costs are going up everywhere. Some of the price changes: Peanut M&Ms and Snickers (66 cents to 89 cents), a can of Coke (57 cents to 89 cents) and a Honey Bun pastry (66 cents to 99 cents).

Florida has the nation's third largest state prison system.

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/19273521/detail.html#-

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. It's so unfair .........

Unless their wages go up, those prices rising are gong to cause undo hardship.

Maybe work in the laundry can go from eleven cents an hour to fifteen?

I wonder if cutting back on the junk food would level things out somehow? Just a thought .................

[The Straight Story]

2. Perhaps, but with so few pleasures being locked up, and not able to smoke

Junk food may be all they have left.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. Junk food and the gym .........

Once, I was in a meeting involving some people who ran Federal lockups, and someone expressed disgust with the idea that all those convicts did was to work out and get bigger and stronger so that they were even more dangerous when and if they were released.

The Feds explained that if that gym equipment wasn't there, the violence levels would rise immediately and no one would be able to contain it.

Testosterone meltdown...............................

[Speck Tater]

7. Junk food, gym, and meditation.

An experimental program in Australia teaching inmates meditation resulted in ZERO recidivism among those who regularly practiced meditation while incarcerated.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

8. Wouldn't it be great

if we could institute something like that in our prison system? I'd love to see that happen.

So many black inmates embrace Islam once they're inside, and I know from talking to a lot of them that it offers them great comfort. I can't help but believe that meditation would afford them an even deeper dimension of comfort and understanding......................

[NYC Liberal]

11. Yes: for all those who complain about that sort of thing, this is why we have it

Better that they be exercising or playing sports, or whatever, than beating each other up.

Also why I think they ought to let them have Playboy mags (or whatever mag). No relief = a lot of pent up stress. And they take it out on others.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

12. I agree ..........

But you keep getting hit with the old canard - they're in there to be PUNISHED, not coddled.

So, when you ask "Is taking GED courses or college courses part of their being PUNISHED," you get the usual "Well, that's different. That's the prisoners wanting to improve themselves."

I say, let them run porn movies day and night, give them all the porn they want, let them smoke, give them access to candy bars and gyms. They're paying their price to society - there's no reason to be Puritan about it..................

[LuckyLib]

4. Vending machine prices have gone up all over the country. Manufacturers are charging more

and suppliers are passing it on. Even to prisoners.

[skooooo]

5. Not high on my list of world problems....nt

[DJ13]

6. At a time of record low prices for grains, meat, and dairy on the NYMEX

Why is it that the food companies continue raising prices?

Its not just the prisons that are facing this problem, its families too.

Wheres the consumer watchdogs when we need them?

[Canuckistanian]

9. Oh, I get it - "Stir", "Prison"

Very witty.

Seriously, SOMEONE's making a ton of money on this. Bet on it.

[adiabatic]

10. Why don't they just buy that crap at WalMart and GIVE the inmates one of each a day

if they want them? WM sells honey buns in a pack of 6 for about a buck and Sams cola is 20 cents a can. Would be cheap insurance. It's not as if they're allowed to smoke any more...
:eyes:

[Obamanaut]

13. They are fed, clothed, given medical and dental care. They have

a roof over their heads, heated in the winter.

I do not agree with abusing inmates. However, to think that it is unfair (this was in a post on this thread) to raise the price of the candy, honey buns, etc is ridiculous.

It is amazing how many times an inmate can be heard berating a relative on the phone (a collect call that the relative is paying for) because the relative hasn't sent enough money recently. The candy bars etc are not all consumed by the owner - but rather are used in payment for gambling debts.

It is likewise amazing how many church prison outreach ministries are scammed by inmates who will work their little bible lessons, tell them how much they love jesus, and then ask for money because they are out of personal hygeine products (these are given to them at no cost by the way, at least in Florida)

I've seen inmates get some outstanding medical/dental care. I've also seen them scam the crap out of unsuspecting dupes who are overflowing with pity.