STATEVILLE Correctional Center

[Amesballz]

My man works in the gym at Graham and makes $15 a month...but when they went on lockdown in July for a week because someone held a nurse hostage, he got docked for that week and couldnt write to me for a while because he ran out of money for postage after he bought all of his toiletries!!  ARGHHH the prison system is so frustrating sometimes!

[dancer]

E's state pay has been  $10 a month the last four years that I've known him.  At the audit document it showed  IDOC had paid out  $11 mil in settlements!  that was up a lot from the last two years.   someday we needed to have a calling campaign about state pay.  I think in April it was $3 at Stateville due to lockdowns.  I  got a copy of E's account and saw it. 

[jewels]

J's has also been $10 for the last 4 years that I know of, minus lockdowns. The point is they were given this money each month to provide themselves with essentials, instead of the state giving them to them. With commisary now being so over inflated and state pay being cut so often due to lockdowns, it rarely covers these essentials.
However I do feel we need to exercise caution if we protest about the amount because other states either get nothing or just a very few dollars. I wish Illinois also was given envelopes and stamps like some states are.

[Dazzler]

IDOC is responsible for supplying basic necessities...it's a cheap way for them to get off without providing these items...I guess the inmates don't need basic necessities during one of their long lockdowns...they charge for toilet paper now, remember?

[dancer]

they do?  You sure it is just not for extra TP?   Other states that I have written penpals,  FL  NY and CA,  you can just send in stamps with your letter,  unused with the backing.  Usually there is a limit,  like  20 stamps at a time.  I can't imagine a whole lot of drugs come in under postage stamps. in CA you can send envelopes and writing paper also.  Their mail system is worse than IL for delivery,  at least at High Desert.
It would be interesting to make up a list of basic necessities and price them out at each prison.  shampoo,  razors,  write outs, soap,  toothpaste and toothbrushes, combs,  hair grease,  and then extra clothing and winter coats,  gym shoes. Figure out what they need once a month,  or once a year.  If they smoke they are just out of luck unless they have money coming in. They don't get meals for a 12 hour period of time,  and they are often hungry if they don't have some soup or candy in their box. It must be really hard not to be able to run, or play basketball,  because you only have state boots. You don't see many of those in the visit rooms,  but when I've visited Corey and seen lots of guys out in the yard,  lots of men wear them.  It really does infuriate me that they charge them inflated prices for those necessities. 

[jewels]

However do the guys who have no-one and nothing, manage? J gave his last cellie some soap because he had nothing except the clothes he stood in. Soon found out why! The guy was at the bars trading with it for some ciggies!
However do they manage with the toilet paper issue. I mean, when you gotto go, you gotta go and if you are out of paper? I almost forgot they have to get their own loo paper now. If the idoc can get away with not providing anything, they will!

[Dazzler]

I believe they are alotted a certain amount and after that they must pay for it...J used it for everything...he even stuffed his pillow sometimes for added fluffiness....geesh...

[jewels]

Can't say I blame him about the pillow. Lots of them say the pillows are like bricks to lay their heads on.

[Sister]

I think my brother said told me before that they get one roll per week.........and you have to make it last, or you are out of luck unless you have bought some.  He usually keeps some on hand because they run out. 

He was excited the other day when he called because he had gotten  to see the night sky.  He hadn't seen one in almost a year.  They had let them out of their cell for some reason or other and they got to go past a window.   Out here, we take things like that for granted, getting to see a beautiful night sky.

[EMERALD]

Yes Sister, your'e so right about that.  Only today, a letter from my guy stated that he has been at Tamms coming up 9years.  I thought of all the stuff id done and all the places id seen in those 9 years. It made me so sad.

[dancer]

I guess I agree with limiting TP.  Some people use it and wrap it around their hands!  My daughter goes through about a half roll a day. 
ok ladies,  help me figure this out.  I'm still looking for that other document I saw!
Take a look at the bottom of page  14 and then  page 15 about commissary funds.  It is talking about employees getting paid from commissary profits!  why?   
http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lac/audits/corgen04.pdf#search=%22stateville%20audit%20illinois%20%20%202004%20%202005%20%22

[jewels]

How can TP be limited? What of those inmates who really need it? Can you imagine having to only have access to so many sheets a week? I used mine for all sorts, including when I have a cold!

[dancer]

I think this is one of the sites I saw the other day.  This is just an audit for  three years up til  2002 and I don't see a category about inmate pay here.  I think they mean PersonnEL.  You would think someone putting together a state report would know how to spell.  Take a look at the numbers of employees goign up every year.  Also telecommunications  costs went way up.  maybe because of a new prison being built?  But phone services prices have gone down. 
I'd like to see  2003 to 2005 report.  It would be interesting to see if the number of employees did go down. 
Oh,  also look at the category about taking out of inmate pay to pay for incarceration if they make over  $25 / month. 
http://www.state.il.us/AUDITOR/Corrections Gen Off 02.htm
http://www.state.il.us/AUDITOR/Corrections04.htm    04
if the link does not work,   copy and paste it,  then clear off everything after auditor and look for the list of audits,  and go to corrections. 

[dancer]

darn that link does not work and I copied it. 
here is the report.  Probably we want to remove most of it?  the format did not transfer.  I do see we can request copies!   
REPORT DIGEST
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
DEPARTMENT-WIDE FINANCIAL AUDIT

For the Year Ended:
June 30, 2002

GENERAL OFFICE
COMPLIANCE AUDIT

For the Two Years Ended:
June 30, 2002

HERE'S THE LINK - http://www.state.il.us/AUDITOR/Corrections%20Gen%20Off%2002.htm

[Sister]

Yes Sister, your'e so right about that.  Only today, a letter from my guy stated that he has been at Tamms coming up 9years.  I thought of all the stuff id done and all the places id seen in those 9 years. It made me so sad.

I tend to think of that every time I see a beautiful sunset, or the sun rising, or a pretty view with trees........etc.  How lucky I am to be seeing those things.......it is a priviledge indeed.

[dancer]

I often use really bright paper to print off my letters to the guys at tamms,  or put in colorful photos of nature,  just because their world is so devoid of color. 

[masonik4]

Hi all, I normally don't reply much, although I do share posts and blogs, but this is an interesting subject, of which I can kinda relate to.

Being from NC prisons, I understand a bit about how these things work, but I always caution any reader that no inmate can truly speak for any other inmate, since we have all done our time differently. Having said that, let me kinda share what I know about how some prisons work.

When I was in prison, I had several different jobs, from working as a janitor, working in the kitchen, road squad and even a GED teacher assistant (I actually used to be a real GED teacher after I graduated from college).  I was paid as little as 40 cents a day, and as much as $1 a day, depending on the job.  The dollar-a-day jobs were very few and far between.

I was making I guess about $2.40 a week, or about $9.60 a month under a 40 cent a day job.  But let's face it, that will barely take care of the essentials.  However, there were ways around that.  First off is someting quite common, bartering....

Yeah, it IS against the rules, but you gotta do what you gotta do....

But there is also another way, that being indigent.  In NC, and other states, if an inmate does not make a certain amount of money in a month's time, the state will claim them indigent and give them a bag of very generic...AND I DO MEAN VERY GENERIC hygiene items.  This includes a small comb, a fingernail clipper (or board), cheap lotion, toothbrush, toothpaste and shampoo & conditioner.  If I am correct, if you got less than $12 or $15 in a month, you were indigent, but you have to have that status for I think 2 months before you could claim the items.  It used to be that you got stamps too, but I think they stopped that.

As for tissue paper, I never had to pay for any because they were free at all times.  If you were in a cell camp, you got 2 rolls a day, but most guys wasn't going through two rolls a day.  In communal camps (dorms), the group bathrooms were stocked by janitors...something I was responsible for.

Lockdowns do indeed hurt everyone, as I think we can all attest to, and I have been on a couple.  It certainly makes it difficult for guys to get the things they need.  A lot of guys rely heavily on those few dollars they get per month, and I cannot tell you how important it is for a person to have a few dollars in his pocket while in prison...even if it is a card camp.

There are some other things I wanted to say, but I think they have been covered, and I also wanted to just kinda lend my sympathies to those who have loved ones in those situations.  Having been there myself, I understand the frustation, and had to kinda hold my tongue on other issues that might be factors that I will not speak of.  At any rate, hang in there guys.

[Jims]

darn that link does not work and I copied it. 
here is the report.  Probably we want to remove most of it?  the format did not transfer.  I do see we can request copies!   
REPORT DIGEST
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
DEPARTMENT-WIDE FINANCIAL AUDIT

For the Year Ended:
June 30, 2002

GENERAL OFFICE
COMPLIANCE AUDIT

For the Two Years Ended:
June 30, 2002

HERE'S THE LINK - http://www.state.il.us/AUDITOR/Corrections%20Gen%20Off%2002.htm

I thought the part about IDOC's efforts to recoup the cost of incarceration from inmates was particularly interesting. I thought once a person was convicted, he became a ward of the state. So how can they try to recoup costs of housing them and providing for them? If they have to pay for themselves, wouldn't that negate the "wards of the state" theory? It looks as if they decided to make concerted efforts to grab assets of incoming inmates and to pay closer attention to what inmates have on the outside.

[Sister]

I often use really bright paper to print off my letters to the guys at tamms,  or put in colorful photos of nature,  just because their world is so devoid of color. 

I particularly try to find cards and paper and that kind of thing with nature on it.  My brother used to really love the woods, mountains, trees and such, he really loves a pretty card with a forest or a sky.

Thanks, Masonik, for sharing that. 

[JJL]

^%$#
Can somebody answer a question for me PLEASE?!!?!?!?!

When I go to Stateville on the 18th to visit Jo, I will need to get my own canteen card to put some money on for vending. My prior visit I used his mom's card so I didn't have to worry about it, I just gave her the cash to put on the card. But I won't be seeing her this time. Do you get a new card from the visting center staff, or does it come directly from the machine where you add money to the cards?

I hate going somewhere and not knowing exactly what to do. I was so glad his mom was with me the first time so I could learn the "ropes" of how do everything for a visit. And sometimes depending on the staff, they aren't always too friendly to even approach let alone ask a question.

I know that the cards are $1.00. At least that's what his mom said. I just want to know what to do before I get there.

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