Neo SLAVERY? -prisoners and their families hit hard by new DOC policies
“NEO
SLAVERY” encroaches on WI DOC?
TWO DISTURBING SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES
"NEO SLAVERY" and "NEW Slavery" are terms I am beginning to read more and more
in WI prisoner letters. Very important and disturbing stuff. I will link this to some of the essays and
here summarize.
1) The legislature enacted Act 355 last April ,
which directed the WI DOC to take 50% of incoming funds from prisoners jobs for
“restitution”, the amount the court ordered the prisoner to pay to victims at
their sentencing. Previously to this, 25% was taken.
The DOC however, is taking 50 % from all funds
coming in including moneys from families and they are doing it retroactively-
taking for years served before the Act was passed.
This has a big impact on families and prisoners.
They are already reeling under the weight of many fees and the wages made by
the few who do work within the system are incredibly low . Here is a chart from one of the writers of
the articles below, Reo Covington:
 |
| After all deductions, this prisoner gets 6.45 for 80 hours work. Where's the rehabilitation? He asks. |
As you can
see the 50% is added to a myriad of fees already charged to inmates.
The two
articles below do a good job of explaining the whole debacle.
Below Reo Covington talks about the total lack of interest in rehabilitation that is desplayed- what is the incentive for the prisoner to do good work and take a job when after 80 hours of work he makes $6 .45
And here James Mercer give specifics of what is at stake here; which laws and rights are violated:
Here is one report form SCI= am gathering the others recieved and will add them
Summary:
FFUP has received many letters (and a few calls from families)that the prison is now taking ALL incoming funds for many prisoners’ accounts. They have come up in many cases with bills (restitution, legal loans etc)they say prisoners have not paid but that prisoners attest they have. Many of these “bills” are 20 plus years old and the prisoner, of course, has no receipt. One prisoner a 76 year old very ill man, is refusing to pay his 7.50 copay for health care in protest and has been refused treatment (although some advocacy seems to be working in changing that). He attests the bill was paid by his girlfriend long ago. This man is indigent- has zero funds but occasionally will get a money order from friends. He has asked all not to send anything as the prison will take 100 percent.
What kind of money grubbing is this? The food rations have been cut , few prisons give the free stamps out to indigent prisoners anymore and there is virtually no programming or treatment for the majority of prisoners.
What kind of money grubbing is this? The food rations have been cut , few prisons give the free stamps out to indigent prisoners anymore and there is virtually no programming or treatment for the majority of prisoners.
One theory I have read from inmates is that all this is preparation for privatization, something Governor Walker has long wanted. This writer has attempted advocacy within the Michigan system where many prisons are privatized. There is no access and any changes are impossible. No matter how draconian our system gets, I strongly state, privatization is not the answer.
2) The second new policy is hard to understand except cynically. Here is where the term “Neo Slavery” is most
apt.
FFUP has
received many letters (and a few calls from families)that the prison is now
taking ALL incoming funds for many prisoners’ accounts. They have come up in
many cases with bills (restitution, legal loans etc)they say prisoners have not
paid but that prisoners attest they have. Many of these “bills” are 20 plus
years old and the prisoner, of course, has no receipt. One prisoner a 76 year old very ill man, is
refusing to pay his 7.50 copay for health care in protest and has been refused
treatment (although some advocacy seems to be working in changing that). He
attests the bill was paid by his girlfriend long ago. This man is indigent- has zero funds but
occasionally will get a money order from friends. He has asked all not to send
anything as the prison will take 100 percent.
What kind of money grubbing is this? The food rations have been cut , few prisons give the free stamps out to indigent prisoners anymore and there is virtually no programming or treatment for the majority of prisoners.
What kind of money grubbing is this? The food rations have been cut , few prisons give the free stamps out to indigent prisoners anymore and there is virtually no programming or treatment for the majority of prisoners.
One theory I have heard from inmates is
that all this is preparation for privatization, something Governor Walker has
long wanted. This writer has attempted advocacy within the Michigan system
where many prisons are privatized. There is no access and any changes are
impossible. No matter how draconian our system gets, I strongly state,
privatization is not the answer.
Here is one
report form SCI= am gathering more and will add them
https://ffupstuff.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/r-mallory-money-stolen-by-doc.pdf
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