Joy
03-24-2003, 09:25 AM
OPERATION WIPE OUT TEXAS STYLE - MARCH 2003
In the light of the article published by the Huntsville Item on March 20th, 2003 (See below) and several alarming reports from Texas prisoners, it has been decided to launch "Operation Wipe Out Texas Style".
Prisoners are being denied basic hygiene necessities for "budget" reasons. It is outrageous to see TDCJ cutting such important hygiene products as a first move to save money.
Prisoners are told to use their sheets. Women prisoners endure a very humiliating fate due to the complex and lengthy administrative procedure to get sanitary pads. This will hasten the spread of diseases in the units. The lack of proper hygiene supplies presents a very real health risk to the public of further contamination when prisoners are released.
From March 24th until April 30th 2003, we urge you to mail a roll of toilet paper and/or a sanitary pad to:
Governor Rick PERRY
PO Box 12428
Capital Station
Austin
TX 78711
Ask him to reverse this budgetary decision and to forward the TP donations we are sending him to the affected Texas units.
You can also e-mail Rick Perry - http://www.governor.state.tx.us - Christina Melton Crain, Chairman of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice (Fax 512-305 9398) and Gary Johnson, executive director of TDCJ - gary.johnson@tdcj.state.tx.us - to demand the publication of figures to compare the actual purchases of toilet paper and the quantity required for all Texas Units. This may reveal some interesting facts that TDCJ must investigate and resolve before enforcing such drastic and inhumane measures.
Thank you for your kind and soft generosity !
Sandrine Ageorges - ageorges.sandrine@wanadoo.fr
For up dates and additional information on this campaign, check :
http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/starke/txtp.html
A BIG thank you to Kay Lee for her precious help !
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 20, 2003
Agency cuts back on toilet paper for inmates
By Mark Passwaters, The Hunstville Item
With the state of Texas facing a $9.9 billion budget shortfall, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has been forced to undertake a number of cuts in many areas.
The first of those cuts have hit home for the inmate population, as inmates now are being supplied with a roll of toilet paper once every two weeks as opposed to one roll per week.
The toilet paper situation has caused some inmates to voice their opinions.
"Tissue paper is an essential necessity and TDCJ is going to deny someone of that necessity with this insane logic that it will save money. Can you say lawsuit?" wrote Robert Mudd, an inmate at the Ellis Unit.
"Of course, there is an underside to every great idea," wrote inmate John Blackwell, also at the Ellis Unit. "Now there will be more tax money needed for all torn sheets, underwear, socks and all other cloth objects.
Not to mention the many extra hours of plumbing at the end of this
two-week time frame. I'm not going to go into the sanitary side of this money-saving plan."
TDCJ spokesman Larry Todd said the current budget crunch has caused the agency to put the squeeze on toilet paper.
"We've been instructed to be as conservative as possible with any expenditures. We've asked all of our wardens to make sure we are not wasting any of our assets and that includes the various supplies like toilet paper," he said. "We have to operate as efficiently as possible. We are in a 'waste not, want not' mode and that includes all of our supplies."
The amount of money that would be saved by the toilet paper cutbacks is not immediately known.
"We haven't done a budget analysis; we're just using common sense on it," Todd said. "This does, however, point to the seriousness of the reduction of supplies."
The toilet paper used by inmates is described as being "not the soft and cuddly content that one would find at a supermarket."
"The toilet paper given to inmates is not the more expensive soft and supple quality," Todd said. "It is, however, the type of paper that we purchase because of the low bid."
Todd said the agency will not sacrifice sanitary conditions in an attempt to save money.
"We certainly understand the need for sanitation, and we will not let a lack of toilet paper become a health issue," he said.
Some inmates say health issues are the very reason they need more than one roll of toilet paper every two weeks.
"What the new rule hasn't taken into account is that there are inmates that have special needs as far as toilet paper is concerned," wrote Claude Rinehart, an inmate at the Ellis Unit. "There are a good number of inmates that take medications that cause them to use the commode three or four times a day. There are older inmates that nature talks with more often than the young."
Todd said the budget situation, barring any unforeseen changes, will continue to make for some uncomfortable situations throughout the agency.
"Of course, our population is currently 147,839 (inmate), and if you take one roll of toilet paper for each of them every two weeks, that's still a lot of money. We shall not waste anything nor any time," he said. "The big cuts to the budget have yet to come. However, we don't anticipate future budget cuts to wipe out the toilet paper supply."
In the light of the article published by the Huntsville Item on March 20th, 2003 (See below) and several alarming reports from Texas prisoners, it has been decided to launch "Operation Wipe Out Texas Style".
Prisoners are being denied basic hygiene necessities for "budget" reasons. It is outrageous to see TDCJ cutting such important hygiene products as a first move to save money.
Prisoners are told to use their sheets. Women prisoners endure a very humiliating fate due to the complex and lengthy administrative procedure to get sanitary pads. This will hasten the spread of diseases in the units. The lack of proper hygiene supplies presents a very real health risk to the public of further contamination when prisoners are released.
From March 24th until April 30th 2003, we urge you to mail a roll of toilet paper and/or a sanitary pad to:
Governor Rick PERRY
PO Box 12428
Capital Station
Austin
TX 78711
Ask him to reverse this budgetary decision and to forward the TP donations we are sending him to the affected Texas units.
You can also e-mail Rick Perry - http://www.governor.state.tx.us - Christina Melton Crain, Chairman of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice (Fax 512-305 9398) and Gary Johnson, executive director of TDCJ - gary.johnson@tdcj.state.tx.us - to demand the publication of figures to compare the actual purchases of toilet paper and the quantity required for all Texas Units. This may reveal some interesting facts that TDCJ must investigate and resolve before enforcing such drastic and inhumane measures.
Thank you for your kind and soft generosity !
Sandrine Ageorges - ageorges.sandrine@wanadoo.fr
For up dates and additional information on this campaign, check :
http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/starke/txtp.html
A BIG thank you to Kay Lee for her precious help !
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 20, 2003
Agency cuts back on toilet paper for inmates
By Mark Passwaters, The Hunstville Item
With the state of Texas facing a $9.9 billion budget shortfall, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has been forced to undertake a number of cuts in many areas.
The first of those cuts have hit home for the inmate population, as inmates now are being supplied with a roll of toilet paper once every two weeks as opposed to one roll per week.
The toilet paper situation has caused some inmates to voice their opinions.
"Tissue paper is an essential necessity and TDCJ is going to deny someone of that necessity with this insane logic that it will save money. Can you say lawsuit?" wrote Robert Mudd, an inmate at the Ellis Unit.
"Of course, there is an underside to every great idea," wrote inmate John Blackwell, also at the Ellis Unit. "Now there will be more tax money needed for all torn sheets, underwear, socks and all other cloth objects.
Not to mention the many extra hours of plumbing at the end of this
two-week time frame. I'm not going to go into the sanitary side of this money-saving plan."
TDCJ spokesman Larry Todd said the current budget crunch has caused the agency to put the squeeze on toilet paper.
"We've been instructed to be as conservative as possible with any expenditures. We've asked all of our wardens to make sure we are not wasting any of our assets and that includes the various supplies like toilet paper," he said. "We have to operate as efficiently as possible. We are in a 'waste not, want not' mode and that includes all of our supplies."
The amount of money that would be saved by the toilet paper cutbacks is not immediately known.
"We haven't done a budget analysis; we're just using common sense on it," Todd said. "This does, however, point to the seriousness of the reduction of supplies."
The toilet paper used by inmates is described as being "not the soft and cuddly content that one would find at a supermarket."
"The toilet paper given to inmates is not the more expensive soft and supple quality," Todd said. "It is, however, the type of paper that we purchase because of the low bid."
Todd said the agency will not sacrifice sanitary conditions in an attempt to save money.
"We certainly understand the need for sanitation, and we will not let a lack of toilet paper become a health issue," he said.
Some inmates say health issues are the very reason they need more than one roll of toilet paper every two weeks.
"What the new rule hasn't taken into account is that there are inmates that have special needs as far as toilet paper is concerned," wrote Claude Rinehart, an inmate at the Ellis Unit. "There are a good number of inmates that take medications that cause them to use the commode three or four times a day. There are older inmates that nature talks with more often than the young."
Todd said the budget situation, barring any unforeseen changes, will continue to make for some uncomfortable situations throughout the agency.
"Of course, our population is currently 147,839 (inmate), and if you take one roll of toilet paper for each of them every two weeks, that's still a lot of money. We shall not waste anything nor any time," he said. "The big cuts to the budget have yet to come. However, we don't anticipate future budget cuts to wipe out the toilet paper supply."