Families of state convicts will pay substantially higher prices for Christmas packages delivered to prison this year because Santa is kicking back a 30 percent commission to the Alabama Department of Corrections.
Prison Commissioner Mike Haley said the contract for prison gift packages was awarded by competitive bid to Sarasota, Fla.'s Swanson Services Corp., which has offices in Pelham.
Like last year, no packages from home will be accepted because the prison system lacks the security staff needed to search the packages for drugs, weapons or other contraband, Haley said.
Families, instead, are sent a gift list of acceptable items, ranging from potato chips and deodorant to breakfast drink and sweat pants. The prices, which include a 30 percent markup for the state's commission, are substantially higher than local store prices for the same or similar items. Each inmate may receive a maximum of two orders totaling no more than $75 each.
The higher prices, not surprisingly, have triggered a wave of grumbling from inmates and their families.
'The Grinch who stole Christmas has reared his ugly head again,' James Edwards, an inmate at St. Clair Correctional Facility wrote in a complaint letter.
One woman said she sent her son a $75 package, which included a pair of sweat pants for which she paid Swanson $17.50.
'I could get them at Wal-Mart for $8,' she said.
Swanson is charging $6.98 to put a 21.1-ounce jar of Tang Breakfast Drink in inmates' baskets this year. That jar could be bought at a Montgomery store last week for $2.96. Similarly, the company is charging $3.15 for a 2.25-ounce Mennen Speed Stick. A 3.25-ounce Speed Stick was comparison priced at $2.07.
Rob Deglman, Swanson's account representative for Florida and Alabama, said the comparison isn't fair.
A person staying in a hotel or motel on a business trip expects to pay more for a hamburger or soft drink at McDonald's because what you pay for is room service, he said.