Underwear Shortage hits IDOC

[Forevermah]

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

[jcruz1104]

thats so horribale! thats a reason why i send money for the l/o to buy things he needs like boxers..  i cant believe this, i get the people should get what they earn income wise but i also believe there are MANY people in Illinois gov't that may make too much that if cuts start there, Illinoise may have more money for "little" things like boxers... also i notices my il state taxes doubled in jan. i hope its going to "little" things and not someone paycheck... also to throw in here my hubby went to store Monday they go ever 10 days or so... and they had NO write out. i know everyone that can will purchase that so you would think thats another thing they would have more of...

[Crowe29]

I feel so bad for those poor inmates that have to walk around in shabby clothes and dirty undies! My B was just telling me that he's in need of some too bc the ones they gave him are like little boy underwear (thank goodness he's real slender...like Jack Skellington) but still...i'm so glad i sent him all that $ so at least i know he's got 2 more pairs. But what about the other guys that don't have comissary $??? I have to agree with jcruz on the budget cuts and taxes...if you must cut anything, it's officials' salaries! I'm pretty sure they'll be fine living in a smaller house and driving a middle class car...seriously...i'd rather my taxes go for the prison and education system than someone's Mercedes! I hope that Gov. Quinn figures out a way to fix this...hopefully these articles will raise enough awareness so something can be done about it. I'd love to advocate for the poor inmates of IDOC, just dunno where to start. Just an idea: hold a drive...underwear for inmates...dunno how doable that would be???

[Favored23]

Okay,

I understand that there is a shortage, but my husband use to wash his underwears by HAND every single day when they were short back at Hill.  Now I thank GOD he can use the machines to wash every single day if he wants to, but I'm sorry only having 2 underwears to ME is not an excuse to walk around dirty.  Take them off at night, wash them and by the time you wake up and shower you will have a nice clean underwear, HELLO!!!!!!

I remember even growing up in our household dirty under clothes (panties and bras) was a big NO, NO with my mom!  We washed our undies every night.  When we washed our clothes we NEVER had stacks of dirty underwear!  NEVER! Dirty clothes, YES, but not dirty underwear! 

[me]

Okay,

I understand that there is a shortage, but my husband use to wash his underwears by HAND every single day when they were short back at Hill.  Now I thank GOD he can use the machines to wash every single day if he wants to, but I'm sorry only having 2 underwears to ME is not an excuse to walk around dirty.  Take them off at night, wash them and by the time you wake up and shower you will have a nice clean underwear, HELLO!!!!!!

I remember even growing up in our household dirty under clothes (panties and bras) was a big NO, NO with my mom!  We washed our undies every night.  When we washed our clothes we NEVER had stacks of dirty underwear!  NEVER! Dirty clothes, YES, but not dirty underwear!  

I have to say that I agree with Favored.  This was NEVER allowed in our house either growing up and I still don't let it happen today with my kids.  
All they have to do is wash them out in the shower with them or in their cells and hang them up over night to dry - one day this pair one day that pair....  Even when I go to see my l/o - he washes his clothes right after a visit to have them ready for the next time.  No waiting.  
Of course I would prefer they had more than 2 pair or could wash more often......... but it is possible to still stay clean under these situations in the meantime until it gets straightened out..
Used underwear from another person shouldn't ever be given out in my opinion.............
So ladies don't get me wrong - I in no way agree with this - but there are ways to make due in the meantime.

[Favored23]

Yes, my husband also washes his clothes immediately after our visits.  One pair of underwear is very easy to wash if you really want to have a fresh one on the next day!

[jcruz1104]

dont get me wrong if Ace didnt have $ or buy boxers and i am sure he still does now, he takes them off washes by hand too... even that gets costly since ther is only so much soap and you have to buy that too if u want nedd better one... but at my house, same thing, clean under garments for me the kids and him and i remember when Ace got home after his  other bids he would jump in the shower with his boxers on and wash them and dry them OUT OF HABIT... it took me 7 yrs to kinda get him out of that habit,, and hes locked up again...
but it is no excuss but i really dont think guys think like woman and there are alot og guys that didnt have family for the losgest like my l/o that fened for them selves and learned how to do things with no money..

[Crowe29]

Ladies: ya'll make a very good point...i think i forgot to mention that my B washes his unders and sox by hand and dries them...he's very VERY clean...excellent personal hygeine so that's never an issue...however, after all that washing and wearing the underwear gets shabby and worn, and i think that is where the concern is...my B's only in there for a year...will they give him 2 new pairs in 6 months or does he have to make do with the ones he has, eventually buying more??? What about the guys who have longer bids and no $ to buy new pairs with??? Do the just wear the same ones till they fall off their butts??? In my opinion I don't think it's a case of wether or not they want to hand wash  their drawers...I think they're conserving what they got and trying to make them last as long as possible.

[Favored23]

Crowne

Believe it or not they have a way of getting what they need.  And YES wash till you can't wear them anymore! What's the problem?  It's better than walking around smelling and making the others life impossible with your stank.  My husband has been in for a long time and he has never gone without.  They will be fine! 

[rottiemama2003]

This will cost them more money because of infections and stuff, digging  a deeper hole of debt

[jenplus2]

D has always washed them by hand inbetween wash days. I have a very limited income & he'd rather talk on the phone, get personal items (including soap), a fan, etc. Than to spend more on clothing. He's been washing by hand since day 1 (even in county).

[seaturtle]

I just wrote a note to myself to buy my LO new socks & skivies for his return home.  Something little, but I know it will be much appreciated.  He is SUCK a neat freak! 

[jenplus2]

Lol, Seaturtle. I did the same thing. Trying to get liittle things like undies, socks, under shirts, then there's the hygiene things, soap, deodorant, razors, etc. The little things are more important than the big. Oh, & cologne but thats for me :~)

[jcruz1104]

lol thats too funny, my l/o has been gone 5 months and 12 to go, so no need for all new items but once it get closer i too will be getting him all the little things he will need. And mine too suck a neat freak i love it & miss it. the only thing i slack on and the only thing i ever expected from his was to take out the trash i can not express how much i HATE taking it out.

[me]

Crowne

Believe it or not they have a way of getting what they need.  And YES wash till you can't wear them anymore! What's the problem?  It's better than walking around smelling and making the others life impossible with your stank.  My husband has been in for a long time and he has never gone without.  They will be fine! 

Favored you have been taking the words out of my mouth all day on this one!  LOL
They do have their "ways" of getting what they need.  Trust that.  Especially the one's that don't have l/o's sending them money.  They learn very quicky how to get what they need. 

My husband has been in for a long long time as well and he never goes without either.  They know how to take care of themselves in there - or they learn quickly.

[Favored23]

Exactly! My husband tells me all the time that their are SOME very good men in there that will take the shirts off their backs to help others.

[Crowe29]

So basically this is more of a case of personal hygiene rather than not being able to get a pair of drawers...or at least take care of the ones they have...in that case...eeeewwww!!!

[jcruz1104]

So basically this is more of a case of personal hygiene rather than not being able to get a pair of drawers...or at least take care of the ones they have...in that case...eeeewwww!!!

very true, i remember on on of the bids done a few people got scabies, they said cuz people dont like taking showers... my and ace were like ewww what the heck?? how the heck could u not take a shower as hot as it gets, sticky and tank butts... i am sure there are some nasty people there.

[Crowe29]

How can someone not like taking showers??? but anyway, back to the skivies...how can the IDOC issue used underwear??? Now that's what I don't get. And if you think about it, say your man goes in, gets one of them used pairs, wears it for his bid, catches something and now he gives it to you. It's like the state's gambling with our health! Not cool! Maybe i'm naive but I was under the impression that everything they get comes out of a sealed plastic package. How sad for our inmates :(

[Favored23]

 USED???? Who said that?

[Crowe29]

"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.

the article did...yeah...  

[Ira]

There are people who do not take showers, much less wash their underwear. My husband said when he was in Cook County, they had to MAKE several people take a shower because of impossible smell.
He is in Taylorville now, I will ask him how many uniforms and pairs of underwear he got, I don't remember now. He buys new boxers anyway.. But it got me to thinking: do they sell brand new clothes or they just clean someone else's and re-pack it again???

[Favored23]

Crowe missed that. YIKES! Yes that's bad!

[arielwolff]

this is why we should have MGT back the state would have more money for things like this!!

[rottiemama2003]

Any kind of GT would help. I talk to hubby today and ask him about it and he said yes so many guys when they come in dont get what they are suppose to have issued to them. But he has plenty of underwear, because we make sure he does. Between me, his sisters(3) and our children (4) he will have some underwear without a doubt as long as he has been locked up he has NEVER been without what he needs. It just will not happen please this is really sick for anyone, in a civilized country to treat humans like this!!!!!

[jbdec]

How long will it take until the powers that be see the signs that enough is enough and clean up our overcrowded prisons in Illinois.  So many of our loved ones (my son included) have been over charged and over sentenced. He's in Taylorville, too. He has no past crime history, 20 years old, and is a non-violent offender.  I'm certain this description fits for so many in there.  He's learned his lesson - Come so much closer in his walk and talk with Christ and wants to make a positive change in his life and in the lives of others upon his release.  Come on Governor Quinn, do the right thing and concern yourself with a prudent move to reinstate MGT, lighten the overcrowding, help to loose the chains of our cash strapped budget situations, concern yourself with the physical, emotional, and health safety of our family members who are behind bars and the lives of the officers/staff that monitor them.  See today's news on the dirty underwear: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8607429/US-inmates-forced-to-wear-dirty-underwear.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8607429/US-inmates-forced-to-wear-dirty-underwear.html  .  Anyone who has constructive ideas on how we can snowball these articles from today's new?  We should take advantage of this!

[rottiemama2003]

Gov. Pat Quinn was trying to say face, now his butt is out. His state is on national news about unsanitary conditions. Trust me some lawyer is looking at this thinking how can we cash in. This may cost the start real embarrassment. Airing real dirt political underwear. 

[jcruz1104]

Gov. Pat Quinn was trying to say face, now his butt is out. His state is on national news about unsanitary conditions. Trust me some lawyer is looking at this thinking how can we cash in. This may cost the start real embarrassment. Airing real dirt political underwear. 

lets hope this summer it gets very embarrassing so come fall and MGT is an issue he signs it ASAP and inmates get at least that back..

[Crowe29]

Gov. Pat Quinn was trying to say face, now his butt is out. His state is on national news about unsanitary conditions. Trust me some lawyer is looking at this thinking how can we cash in. This may cost the start real embarrassment. Airing real dirt political underwear. 

Very well said Rottie! I'm for lobbying down in Springfield...and it's not just about the underwear...it's about MGT...if Quinn sees how bad this looks, it won't leave him much of a choice but to bring it back.  My B is also in there for the stupidest, non-violent violation for the stupidest, non-violent crime he committed 12 years ago...this could've been settled using probation, a fine...anything but prison...but no, the punishment has to exceed the crime in this great state of ours and then you have this snowball effect that results in a shortage of funds for proper clothing...are we still in America???

[Still love my son]

 


Piles of tattered torn dirty under ware on the capitol steps sounds good to me.......

                                                                                                   

[Crowe29]

Piles of tattered torn dirty under ware on the capitol steps sounds good to me.......

                                                                                                   

Great idea Still love my son! Maybe that'll catch their attention??? 

[Steadfast]

I have a question.  Does DOC allow family members to provide underwear for the inmates?  In other words, could I send my LO boxers and t-shirts and soap?  It sounds ridiculous that they only allow you to purchase things through commissary, but then don't have the items available to purchase.  It's a Catch 22.  I am all for marching on Springfield with dirty underwear on sticks to get the attention of the media to shame Quinn into doing the right thing for our inmates.  MGT must be restored soon and maybe a citizen's gathering would do just that, as government only seems to respond to public outcry in the form of a well publicized revolt.  [edited by admin]

[Forevermah]

The only thing you can do is put money on his books and if they have underwear at the prison commissary, they will allowed to buy.  The only things we can send into them are books/magazines!

[me]

Underwear controversy all washed up

StoryDiscussionErickson: Underwear controversy all washed up
By Kurt Erickson | kurt.erickson@lee.net pantagraph.com | Posted: Sunday, October 2, 2011 12:00 pm | 1 Comment


.It may not be something to actually "Cheer" about, but state officials may have turned the "Tide" on an inmate underwear shortage that has been plaguing prisoners at a Central Illinois lock-up.

Records show the Illinois Department of Corrections recently purchased a new washing machine for the Taylorville Correctional Center, a minimum-security facility that houses about 1,200 male inmates.

This is not your typical washer. It's a $17,780 piece of equipment, and, if all goes as planned, it could help reduce the number of days some inmates at the facility must wear the same pair of skivvies.

The purchase was initiated in July, just days after the John Howard Association, a prison watchdog group, went public with an unsettling peek behind the prison walls: Inmates at Taylorville were being issued just two sets of previously worn, sometimes threadbare and, um, stained underwear that were only being laundered once per week.

Although inmates can purchase additional boxers from the prison commissary, the Chicago-based organization said inmates were complaining that they had to wear the same pair of undies for multiple days in a row.

"The practice of administering used underwear that inmates must wear multiple days without washing raises serious hygiene concerns," the organization noted.

When inmates arrive at the Taylorville facility, they receive three pairs of pants, three shirts, one jacket, one stocking hat, two pairs of boxers and two pairs of socks. Inmates used to receive a new set of clothing every six months, but the state's budget mess has put that practice on hold.

Compounding the situation at Taylorville was the unreliable nature of the facility's old washing machine. Documents show a 21-year-old industrial-sized washer was no longer operable at the end of June.

With the new equipment, Corrections spokeswoman Sharyn Elman said, the shortage is being addressed.

"I think all laundry is moving along smoothly. If that was an issue before, it is not an issue now," Elman said recently.

Of course, any celebration of the new washer could be premature. As part of Gov. Pat Quinn's budget fight with the Legislature, he wants to close the Logan Correctional Center and move nearly 2,000 inmates to other medium-security facilities around the state.

Among the prisons affected by his proposal is Taylorville, where laundry generated by the additional inmates could overwhelm the new washer.

New uses

Although Quinn's plan to shutter seven state facilities is a long way from actually happening, there are some who believe it could lead to better things.

Take the Illinois Youth Center in Murphysboro as an example: Quinn wants to close the facility and move the juvenile offenders to other centers around the state.

But rather than leave the buildings and grounds empty, some observers believe it could be re-purposed by the state as a special prison for veterans or as a geriatric care facility for elderly convicts.

Although those are interesting and lofty ideas, the state is not exactly known for creative reuse of shuttered facilities.

It's been more than a decade since former Gov. George Ryan closed the former Lincoln Developmental Center. State law enforcement and emergency management officials occasionally use the 100-acre grounds for training purposes, but mostly the place is a haven for squirrels and other little woodland creatures.

Party time

At least four potential presidential candidates will descend on Central Illinois later this month.

Roger Gary and Lee Wrights of Texas, R.J. Harris of Oklahoma and Carl Person of New York will be addressing attendees at an event in Bloomington on October 21-23.

Haven't heard of them? They are candidates running for the Libertarian Party nomination. The Illinois party is holding its state convention that weekend.

In the 2008 election, Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr came in fourth in Illinois.

To put that in perspective, fourth place represented less than one-half of one percent of the total votes cast that year.

Date to remember

After a lengthy break from Springfield, the General Assembly is scheduled to return to town Oct. 25 for the start of the fall veto session.




Read more: http://www.pantagraph.com/blogs/erickson/article_fed501f8-ebb3-11e0-99d0-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1ZjBTxLCY

[Marks_guy]

So they still get old, used underwear, but now it can be washed more often? Hooray! 

[Favored23]

Pretty much!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[jcruz1104]

i don't getthe thinking of the spokeswoman... I would hate to have her job. Sometimes the stuff that comes out of her mouth is like: are you for real???

"I think all laundry is moving along smoothly. If that was an issue before, it is not an issue now," Elman said recently.

or when she states IDOC is not over crowded...

but at least Taylorville will have almost clean boxes... i say almost cuz they are still used so never will be 100% clean to me

[rottiemama2003]

Some one writes her script for her, there is no way in the world that she would write that for herself.