It's bad enough having to pull an 80-year prison sentence, but when they start overcharging you for soap, toothpaste and deodorant, something's got to give.
A convicted murderer locked up at Stateville Correctional Center filed a petition in Will Count Court claiming that he's been subjected to price-gouging by prison officials.
In his court filing, Robert Hernandez, 51, accuses Department of Corrections officials of flaunting a recommendation by the Illinois Auditor General to review the markup on items sold in prison commissaries.
Stateville, and other correctional centers, slaps a 25 percent increase on items sold from prison commissaries, according to the petition. The extra prison tax is 35 percent on tobacco products, the filing claims.
The surcharge is ostensibly in place to offset the wages and benefits of commissary employees, said an exhibit attached to the filing, but the markup does not match up with state law or the Unified Code of Corrections.
Hernandez raised the issue to the Stateville grievance officer but did not find satisfaction, according to the petition. He then appealed to the Department of Corrections' Administrative Review Board but was again rejected, the filing said.
Hernandez was convicted of murdering his girlfriend and trying, but failing, to murder a man he found her in bed with in 1986. He was living in Romeoville at the time of the killing and committed the murder in Downers Grove, according to court papers. He stabbed both his girlfriend and the other man with a pair of scissors.
Hernandez is up for parole in 2026.
In addition to forcing the Department of Corrections to reduce the surcharge on commissary items, Hernandez wants his commissary account credited for "all ill-gotten funds since Nov. 1, 2005." He figures that amounts to about $542.26.
In his filing, Hernandez pointed out that the prison commissary is the only place he can purchase such essentials as soap, toothpaste, deodorant, thermal underwear, gloves, hats, shoes, summer shorts, sunblock, aspirin, writing and correspondence material, and a fan.
He also noted that Stateville is locked down 23 hours a day, seven days a week and is "not air-conditioned, nor is there windows within the cells, making the fan (a) necessity."
Honestly, you don't need summer shorts! Don't like the soap? Need hats, gloves, shoes or underwear? Have family bring you some. Don't like the toothpaste, deodorant? Tough shit: don't commit crimes that remove your privilege to go to Wal-Mart and buy your choice of brands and flavors and scents. Prison isn't a free market, asshole. It's punishment. You say you're on lockdown 23 hours a day? Why the hell do you need sunblock? Ask the nurse for aspirin. And for writing and correspondence material? Are you kidding? Who are you writing to? Why don't you ask THEM to bring you a fan!? Amazing. According to some studies, as much as 64% of parolees re-offend within the first two years after release. Since you can't be a productive member of society who will pay into the tax pool, to offset the amount it costs to feed, house, medically treat and maybe even educate you, I deserve a return on my investment. If I have to pay taxes to give you three hots and a cot, jerk, yeah, you should pay a little extra, too. Be grateful we don't live in an eye-for-an-eye society anymore.
Prisons cost money, they are a drain upon society, convicts have given up their rights to live within a free society for the duration of their sentence. We should not be trying to justify marking up commissary items by saying it offsets the cost of the employees. That is a slippery slope and once we go in that direction then we can say that any sort of work (and income) that comes while being a convict should be used to offset the expenses of incarceration. Heck, while we are at it lets use that labor to reduce the state debt. Sooner or later you would just be forced to call it what it would become, slavery.
And what happened to the chain gangs? They need to drag these inmates out and have them pick up garbage or some other type of beautification. This area would be a lot nicer if they made these inmates clean it up.
Who cares that he has no air conditioning or that the toothpaste cost more.. Knock his teeth out then he will not need the toothpaste anymore.. I'm mad that he gets to have a fan but yet he complains that he has to pay for it? He mutilated Jodie with a pair of scissors, have any idea how long something like that takes to do with a pair of scissors? Not to mention it's more personal when you stab/mutilate someone because your hands are used repeatedly while committing that act of crime..There is a constant thought of hate going on.. Locked down 23 hrs a day? Boo Hoo!!! Animals like him should be caged 24 hrs a day. Anyone that dont like what I posted? Too bad!