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| S.C. Prison Officials Consider Higher Rates for Inmate Labor |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 03/17/2003 |
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The cost of inmate labor could increase for South Carolina cities and counties as state prison officials look for ways to deal with a multimillion dollar deficit and pending budget shortfalls next year. 'We're worried that we might not have enough dollars to operate,' said Cheryl Bates-Lee, a spokeswoman for the agency. Among the ideas being examined by prison officials is an increase in the rates charged to agencies for the use of inmate labor crews, Bates-Lee said. The rates went up last year, she said, from $4 to $6 per inmate per day. Officials are considering increasing the rates again to $8. Inmate crews now serve 49 city, county and state agencies, including Greenville, Fountain Inn, Greer, Mauldin, Travelers Rest and Simpsonville. The crews pick up litter, cut grass and do other landscaping chores, haul trash and also provide more specific skills, such as carpeting and painting. Inmates are facing higher costs, too. They will pay more for cigarettes later this month and again in November. And sick prisoners who ask to be seen at a prison infirmary are now charged $2 per visit. The prison system, which for months has housed about 1,000 inmates over its capacity of 22,552, ended last year with a $6 million deficit. By January, a combination of budget cuts and added prisoners pushed the agency's projected deficit for the current fiscal year to $23 million. Senate Corrections and Penology Committee Chairman Mike Fair, R-Greenville, said he's worried about the safety of those in the system, with staffing levels at 60 percent of what he said they were four years ago. 'It's just dangerous,' he said. According to figures provided by the agency last month, there is one correctional officer for every 34 inmates on an average eight-hour shift. Overall, the state's inmate-to-officer ratio is almost twice the national average. The agency has cut its staff, including officers, by more than 1,000 in the last two years. |
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