Inside Prison

West Complex Walla Walla;
At lunch today we were served 1 Hot meal, and given 3 ‘Boat’ meals. In other words we were given 4 meals, three of them cold at one time.

WSP Policy Operational Memorandum 240.100 section 5 state; “At least 3 meals 2 of them hot will be provided at regular times during each 24 hour day, with no more than 14 hours between the evening meal and breakfast.”

This was responded to by myself and others who filed grievances. What the response to this is will take between 5-7 days.

As I prepare further information I am seeking legal recourse from the courts to invalidate the relationship between Correctional Industries and the Department of Corrections. This relationship is similar to asking the wolf to guard the hen house. There can only be one outcome, and that would be C/I is “Robbing them blind”.

Now why this is significant is because C/I is operated within DOC, and DOC uses your tax dollars to pay for over-priced meals and food. Then the money is put back into C/I, minus the employee salaries. Of course there are bonuses handed out.

What I do know, and this information is available to the public through public disclosure, is that the cost for feeding inmates was much cheaper before C/I took over the food service department. So why would the legislature, the house oversight committee, and other governmentalagencies that are aware of this allow the contract from C/I to continue.

This reeks of being a “nepotistic” style of business relationship.

Department of “CORRECTIONS”. “CORRECTIONAL” industries. One and the same? Parent company?
What exactly is hidden behind the veil of these two, one a business that is operated within the confines of the other. Where friendships and relationships are being created, and employees of each can transfer back and forth. The same food service employees who initially worked for DOC, now work for C/I, and still wear the same DOC uniforms that they wore as DOC employees.

They still wear the Blue identification badge assigned to DOC staff, and not the yellow one that the educators employed by the Community College wear, or the red one that Sponsors and visitors wear.

So where does the line between the two begin and end. I make the suggestion that it is connected and doesn’t end. The money flows to the upper levels in management.
I wonder to myself about kickbacks, and incentives, gifts and gratuities.

I wonder why these issues are not raised by others. Public funds are what is at stake. Tax dollars. Abuse of funds. Abuse of your dollars.

Please inquire into the relationship that exists between C/I and the Department of Corrections. Just type into your computer Washingto State Correctional Industries. See for yourself. ***Read the article in the Seattle Times written earlier this year about the mattress factory and tilapia fish farm, both run by C/I.

This is not some inmates wild imagination, this is what is going on in prison. The keepers of the caged are exploiting your tax dollars.

In the same OPERATIONAL MEMORANDUM, WSP 240.100 there are further conflicts and direct violations. These include the supervision of meals being served. There are no Food Service Employees overseeing the inmate workers who are passing out the meals. Where it states there will be an effort made to minimize regimentation, we have had nearly two months of meals served with zucchini at each meal.

Section 6 of this memorandum states The Superintendent may designate an employee to evaluate offender meals to determine Quality, Quantity, and Presentation being served. (Meal Evaluation Sheet, WSP 20-420(rev 5/14)).

The constant and consistent denial of inmate rights is shameful. We consider the officials who are given the authority to oversee the welfare of inmates, and to dispense state funds in an effective and efficient manner as knowledgable and responsible.

When in fact they are less than responsible and in many cases they are using such positions for personal agendas, which may or may not have hidden financial benefits due to payoffs and payouts from “Businesses who are ‘Close Associates’ of the Department of Corrections”.

For more information or confirmation of what I am referencing see WSP 240.100. Or go to RCW, REVISED CODE OF WASHINGTON 72.09.01 &
72.09.450.
See specifically 72.09.450 HISTORICAL and STATUTORY NOTES.

Samuel Hawkins
DOC #706212