Underwear shortage hits Illinois prisons
Underwear shortage hits Illinois prisons
By Kurt Erickson
Posted: Tuesday, June 28, 2011 3:49 pm
SPRINGFIELD -- Inmates in at least one state prison are being forced to wear the same used underwear for several days in a row because of a clothing shortage.
The situation, says a prison watchdog group, is not only icky, but could potentially lead to illness. And it isn't limited to just one facility.
In a recent report, the John Howard Association says a visit to the Taylorville Correctional Center found inmates wearing dirty, threadbare clothes that are only being washed twice a week.
Since the minimum-security prison only issues two pairs of boxer shorts to inmates, that means they must wear them for at least half of the week. Or, the group suggests, some inmates could decide to forgo wearing underwear altogether.
"The practice of administering used underwear that inmates must wear multiple days without washing raises serious hygiene concerns," the report notes. "DOC must find a way to provide sufficient clothing for inmates."
John Maki, director of the John Howard Association, said he believes the problem extends to other prisons, which are operating with more inmates than they were built to hold.
"I think this is a problem system wide," Maki said.
When inmates arrive at the prison, they are given three pairs of blue pants, three blue shirts, one jacket, one stocking hat, two pairs of boxers and two pairs of socks.
"Inmates reported that the clothing they receive, including the boxers, are used and often in poor condition to begin with, either having stains or holes," the report notes.
Inmates used to receive a new set of clothes every six months, but a combination of issues facing the Illinois Department of Corrections has put that practice on hold.
Like other prisons, Taylorville is bursting at the seams. It was built to hold 600 inmates, but has over 1,200 within its walls because Gov. Pat Quinn abruptly ended an early prisoner release program last year after reports surfaced that some potentially violent inmates were serving little time behind bars.
In addition, worldwide cotton prices have been on the rise since last year, forcing the cash-strapped state to pay more for the material used to make underwear and other clothing.
A department spokeswoman issued a statement saying officials are doing their best to make due during tough financial times.
"This issue is like many facing the state where budget constraints prevent us from being able to do mass uniform replacement," noted Stacey Solano.
Maki said the underwear shortage is "symptomatic of larger problems within the Department of Corrections." Overcrowding and a lack of educational programs can sometimes play a role in whether inmates return to the system once they are released.
"All this stuff matters. We spend over $1 billion a year on our prison system but we have a recidivism rate of over 50 percent," Maki said.
http://www.pantagraph.com/news/state-and-regional/illinois/article_57ec5aa0-a1c9-11e0-a9b4-001cc4c002e0.html
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