Golden Fleece #4 – Department of Corrections AGAIN!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 27th, 2010
Contact: Ross Day
(503) 480-0523
Nearly $1 Million Spent on Satellite Television for Prisoners!
Salem, Ore– Common Sense For Oregon today announced its fourth Golden Fleece Award winner. The award has been given for a second time to the Oregon Department of Corrections for spending nearly $1 million on free satellite television service for prisoners.
“This is unbelievable,” said Ross Day, executive director of Common Sense For Oregon, “First we discovered the state was giving away free soda pop, now we discovered the state is giving prisoners free satellite television.”
Although the satellite television service is paid out of the Inmate Welfare Fund, which is an account that is funded through profits from the sale of items to prisoners and families, revenue from the Inmate Welfare Fund could be spent on other programs which are currently being funded with taxpayer dollars.
“The taxpayers of Oregon are back-filling drug and alcohol treatment programs, education programs, and counseling programs so the Department of Corrections can provide free satellite television service to prisoners,” said Day.
Oregon administrative rules allow money from the Inmate Welfare Fund to be used for the purchase of “equipment for television viewing”, but not for satellite (or cable) television services, which is another reason this expense is highly questionable, said Day. A copy of the relevant administrative rule is attached to this release.
“This money should be used on programs that are currently paid for with tax dollars. The Department of Corrections would save the taxpayers money by simply purchasing a 50 dollar antennae and letting prisoners watch over-the-air television,” Day concluded.
This latest Golden Fleece Award was brought to the attention of Common Sense For Oregon from a tip received from a corrections officer on the anonymous, toll-free tip line created by Common Sense For Oregon. The telephone number is 1-877-UFLEECE. Or, citizens can go to www.commonsensefororegon.org and leave an anonymous message on that website.
Common Sense For Oregon is an Oregon non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting common sense solutions to the issues important to Oregonians.
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291-156-0020
Specific Uses of Funds
The Department may, with legislative and executive department authorization, use Inmate Welfare Fund monies to fund a variety of programs, services and activities benefiting the general inmate population and enhancing inmate activities and programs, including capital construction and improvement projects in support of such programs, services and activities. Specific uses of the fund may include, but are not limited to, operation, support or enhancement of the following programs, services and activities:
(1) Education programs;
(2) Alcohol and drug treatment and education programs;
(3) Department of Corrections facility canteens, including copying machine made available for inmate use through the facility canteens;
(4) Inmate trust accounting system;
(5) Provision of postage-paid envelopes for indigent inmates;
(6) Provision of nonprescription, over-the-counter health aids made available for inmate use in inmate housing units in Department of Corrections facilities;
(7) Department of Corrections facility libraries designated for inmate use;
(8) Department of Corrections facility visiting room equipment, supplies and services; and
(9) Inmate activities programs, including:
(a) Equipment for television viewing;
(b) Visiting music/entertainment groups;
(c) Music equipment and supplies;
(d) Activities equipment, supplies and services;
(e) Repair of equipment purchased from the Inmate Welfare Fund;
(f) Food or supplies for food for special occasions;
(g) Inmate awards for the purpose of providing umpires, referees, and maintaining activity equipment and apparel;
(h) Inmate tournaments and holiday events;
(i) Inmate club activities; and
(j) Entertainment equipment, supplies and services.
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Comments
I can’t even afford Sat TV , why in the hell would I pay for their Sat?. This is a total scam and I wonder who is making money off this deal. I did not VOTE for this!!!! Gee I wish I could just steal money (so called legal for you} and use it for any old STUPID idea.
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