Why this matters: Most inmates only earn 10 to 50 cents per hour, leaving those who lack outside funds with little money. Inmate’s families pay fees for putting money into the trust fund account, $25 per head for visitation fees, fees for the tablet, and fees for using the phones. All these fees are a burden to families, many of whom lost their primary breadwinner when that person was incarcerated.
Governor Hobbs’ statement about the proposal: “We shouldn’t be balancing the budget on the backs of inmates.”
Of Note: The DOC budget for FY24 is $1.5 billion (more than some countries’ GNP) The visitation and trust fund fees pump nearly $1.1 million into the Building Renewal Fund. (Oh, is that why Santa Maria and San Pedro are condemned? They must have not gotten any renewal money…oh wait..did that money disappear into people’s pockets?)
And here’s the LAST LAUGH: The phone and tablet commissions provided $3.8 million—plus $560,000 in interest—to the department’s Special Service Fund, which MUST be used for the “benefit, education and welfare of committed offenders” per state law. LOL LOL ROFLMAO!