Unless you live in a cave – or a cage – you are more than aware that there’s a major global recession going on. Some are saying that it’s the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Maybe they’re right, but I really don’t know as I do live in a cage here on death row as I have for the past quarter of a century. For the most part I’m isolated (or should I say “insulated”?) from that real world worry out there somewhere beyond these cold concrete walls and the rows and rows of razor wire.
In my world my economy evolves around a very simple system. I’m not allowed to work a job or earn any money. My basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing are provided for by the great state of Florida. I have a secure roof over my head and am fed three meals a day. The state provides me with a bright neon orange shirt and pants made out of what appears to be tent canvas. A couple of times a week they come around and do my laundry – it’s a lot like room service as they pick it up and then deliver it the next day.
On paper it all looks really good. The meals we are served follow a 4 week “perpetual” menu, meaning that it repeats itself every 4 weeks. It has for many years without any substantial change and after you’ve been here a while you can’t help but memorize it. Every morning before I get up I already know exactly what to expect when they bring my breakfast tray to my solitary cell, as death row inmates are not allowed to eat among other prisoners. I doubt this has anything to do with a fear that we might use our eating utensils as weapons as all we are allowed is a simple plastic spoon – never a real fork or knife.
The problem is that these meals only sound good on paper – and the paper this perpetual menu is written on probably is far more edible than the food served. I doubt anyone would expect prison food to be all that good, but I swear these people actually go out of their way to make it as bad as they can! Sometimes this can be frustrating as the food itself actually could be pretty good if only those supervising the kitchen would see to it that at least a minimal effort went into preparing it right.
Most of us here on death row purchase “canteen” food items sold by the prison commissary, upon which the prison system makes a substantial profit. From what I recently heard, just last year alone the Florida prison system made over 30 million dollars just in profits on food items sold in the prison canteen. With that kind of money being made, the prison system doesn’t have any interest in preparing and providing edible meals as by serving the crap they feed us, they force us to buy more snacks and food items from the canteen.
The problem is that when we (the prisoners) are forced to become dependent upon purchasing food from the for-profit canteen that money comes out of the pockets of our family and friends. They already pay their taxes to support the prison system, but now they must also provide substantially more, so this really is not fair to them.
Recently the prison system substantially cut back even more on the food/meals they serve us as due to the economy the Florida Department of Corrections has had significant budget cuts. For many years we were provided a diet consisting of at least 3000 calories a day, collectively for the 3 meals. That has now been reduced to 2400 calories. Additionally we are no longer given real milk at breakfast as we have for at least the past 25 years that I know of. Now they come around with a large jug of watered down powder milk and we are each provided a single cup each day.
Death row inmates no longer are fed any form of real meat other than one small thinly sliced piece of liver once each month. All other “meat” products are now some mysterious form of processed (and tasteless) meat patty or “turkey” hot dogs that taste like rubber. Regular bread that we might use to make a sandwich is now provided sparingly, replaced by what they call “cornbread” or even a couple dry, rock hard biscuits.
Because of this the death row population has now become even more dependent upon the food items we must purchase from the prison canteen. But many families and friends are now struggling themselves and unable to send as much money as they might have in better days.
To further compound this problem, the Florida department of corrections has recently increased the the prices of what is sold in the canteen. They claim that another private (for profit, of course) company has taken over management of the prison canteen system and this somehow justifies the sudden substantial increase in prices. Many items that must be bought regularly at least doubled, even tripled, in price overnight. Even a basic plain white envelope used to mail a letter out now costs 15 cents each.
The few food items they sell that could actually be used to make a meal out of now costs significantly more. For example, up until a month ago I could purchase a 4, 2 ounce pack of tuna fish for $1, 83 and it would make a pretty good sandwich. Now they only sell 2.3 packs of tuna fish for $1, 50, and it takes 2 packs to make just one decent sandwich.
We can also buy “ready to eat” meals, such as beef stew and chili with beans. Those cost about $1, 30 each, and are only 8 ounces. Each meal consists of a total of 250 calories, so you’re sure to be hungry soon after eating that if that’s all you’re eating.
A lot of the guys, including myself, would regularly buy individual packs of instant oatmeal, which previously sold for $0, 29 a pack and it would take at least two of these packs to make half a cup of oatmeal. Now this same instant oatmeal has suddenly gone up to $0, 39 each pack – that extra ten cents a pack really adds up.
We also used to be able to buy small “Little Debbie” oatmeal cakes at $0, 15 cents each. A couple would be enough to handle the hunger. But all the cheap snacks have now been eliminated and in its place we must buy pastry type cakes such as honey buns, chocolate donuts and bear claws – at $1, 50 each! These are the very same pastries that just a few weeks ago cost half that amount. The only alternative is either pop tarts, that went from $0,50 to $0,89 overnight, or Native Trail Mixed Berry bars (like granola bars) that suddenly doubled in price.
For as long as I can remember most of us have regularly bough instant “Ramen soups” as the ultimate back up. They were inexpensive, and we could salvage the potatoes, or beans, or vegetables off the food the state serves and make a soup as the main meal of the day. But now suddenly these soups cost twice what they used to. A simple pack of potato chips or corn chips also more than doubled in price, from $0, 48 to $1.29 per pack.
All of this adds up – and keep in mind that death row prisoners are not allowed to work or earn money. Everything we must buy comes out of the pockets of the family and friends willing to help us out. Our families and friends are suffering from the rough economy too – many of these are now without work or living on a fixed income. Is it really fair to them that now the state is effectively robbing them during these tough times?
But just buying the basic amount of food necessary to keep from going hungry is only part of it. The state – at best – only provides the most basic needs that they are legally required to provide. Anything beyond that the prisoner must buy himself – at a substantial profit to the state. If I want shampoo to wash my hair or a bar of soap to shower with, or deodorant so I don’t stink up my cell during the long hot and humid summer days with no air conditioner, I must buy that myself.
Equally so, if I want to write to my loved ones, I must purchase the paper, the envelopes and the ink pens. Nothing comes for free, as I must also pay all the postage to mail this out. It all adds up.
I am one of the few who are blessed with a few family and friends who do help me out. But where only recently I was able to get by with $25 to $30 a week, now to cover even the basics I must spend at least $40 a week on canteen – or go hungry.
The truth is that I don’t want to ask my family or friends for more money as it’s already hard enough on them as it is. But what am I supposed to do? It would be only too easy to say that I should eat what the state provides and suck it up. I know many here do that, as they simply have no choice. Some of those who have nothing and nobody end up committing suicide, going nuts or dying an early death of “natural” causes. I do believe that there is a direct relationship between the prolonged deprivation of basic needs in this inhumanely oppressive environment and the mental degradation that inevitably leads to suicide, mental illness and early death.
Death row is already a stressful environment. Each day all of us struggle to sustain the strength just to mentally and physically survive. And it is equally as hard on our family and friends as they too face the uncertainty of our fate. Bur unfairly adding this additional factor of price gauging is perhaps the worst thing I’ve seen in years. I can’t help but remember that just a few years ago when similar price increases were imposed on canteen good, a subsequent Federal investigation revealed that the Florida Department of Corrections director, James Crosby, was actually taking monetary bribes – pay offs – to allow the private contractor to rob the prisoners. Since then Crosby is in Federal prison himself.
Maybe its time that someone looks into the current canteen prices and the contracts awarded to for – profit companies to see who is getting the kick backs this time. But until then, I do hope that all prisoners’ family and friends will contact the current Florida Department of Corrections director Walter Mc Neil (mcneil.walter@mail.dc.state.fl.us ) and formally complain about these unfair prices.
