Senator John Tassoni (D-Dist. 22, Smithfield, N. Smithfield) has done some excellent work in RI regarding mercury and autism.  Now he is worried about the reduction in paychecks for roughly 1500 prison guards.  Some of whom earn six figures and are amongst the highest paid state employees in Rhode Island.

“In an effort to cut costs at the ACI, the administration has implemented lockdowns on the facility in order to reduce the need for full complements of correctional officers as well as overtime,” said Senator Tassoni. “Whether it saves money or not, it is an ill-conceived plan. It is putting correctional officers at greater risk from inmates who, frustrated by longer hours in their cells and cut off from their phone and activity privileges, may react violently.”

Let us note that there are standards for all conditions of confinement.  Including time out of cells.  Although they were established (under the 8th Amendment restriction against "cruel and unusual punishment") as a protection of human rights and a prevention of truly sadistic measures being enacted, the prison guards have their own economic stake in the matter.  A single-cell prisoner shall receive 6.25 hours out of their cell per day.  A double-celled prisoner shall receive 10 hours per day out of their cell.  These lockdowns, and holiday lockdowns, and lockdowns when guards call in sick: all violate the letter of the law by a long shot.

Senator Tassoni said he has seen a petition being circulated among correctional officers urging the Department of Corrections to reconsider the lockdown plan. In part, the petition says that “Lockdowns on a periodic basis extending through June are a direct invitation for safety and security problems which may well exceed the monetary savings the lockdowns are designed to accomplish.”

It is true, many a prison riot around the world began with an irrational lockdown.  In this instance, the state is bluntly saying 'we cannot afford to adhere to legal standards.'  Tomorrow they could say the same about food or blankets.  FYI- the daily cost of an individual prisoner's food is roughly $2 per day.  We can't save much more on that line item.

In an effort to increase revenues, Sen. Tassoni is taking form the failed Central Falls playbook: we will charge the federal taxpayers rent for federal prisoners.  But alas, the federal taxpayers are still us.  And the only way to ensure such revenue continues is to increase sentences and create new crimes.  With roughly 100,000 Americans currently incarcerated for marijuana possession, any erosion of "Tough on Pot" may put a considerable dent in the "revenue" of incarcerated people.

If one considers the average prison holds about 1000 people, we could be looking at the closing of 100 prisons around the nation.  Senator Tassoni cites the average payout of $100 per day from federal tax coffers to the prisons that hold them.  Reducing prisoners would result in a savings of $100,000 per day!  Now, if I owned a prison... surely it is lost revenue of $100,000 per day, or $36,500,000 per year.  However 99% of America has no fiscal relationship with prisons other than paying for them to exist.

“I think using the ACI to make money for the state is much better than imposing lockdowns, cutting correctional officer staffing and ending up with a riot or some other dangerous situation.” Tassoni says.

Tassoni also mentions the 175-bed "Reintegration Center" recently constructed with federal tax dollars.  A few months ago he made an admirable pitch for it to be used as a homeless shelter.  Clearly its stated purpose, aiding in reintegration and cut down of recidivism, quickly went out the window.  

There was never a public hearing on how to use this building which is presumably owned by the people of RI.  Many have spoken of the need for both drug rehabilitation facilities and mental health facilities.  However, the Department of Corrections decided some months ago to convert it for women's use, and will transfer all their female inmates to this location.  Surely Sen. Tassoni will see this as an opportunity to rent out the soon-to-be vacant women's facilities.  Despite the fact that the DOC considers them to be poorly suited for human existence (an enlightening commentary on prison conditions).

Police and Guards are the financial strain we currently choose.  It is not the prisoners, financially speaking, who cost money.  But the paramilitary troops who patrol us.

Citizens should always be aware of how financial semantics are used to "generate money" or "save" money.  In the end, however, we own all the bank accounts they want to move money through (while keeping a transaction fee for all the special interests.)    In this case, the Prison Industrial Complex.  (And it is worth noting that 5 out of 6 people do not get paid by state.)          

Just look at some 2007 numbers from the ProJo.

   Guard                          Base Pay          Overtime    Total Pay    

William C. Distasio   44,509     102,303       146,812

Frank E. Cook           67,788     101,415       169,203

O. Juliana Ogunnaiya  61,450     99,877        161,326

Kenneth A. Lucia       45,861      92,018       137,879

William E. Curtin      48,471       88,552        137,023

John H. Brazil, Jr.    45,861        87,594        133,455

George N. Lockhart   54,227     85,537        139,764

John M. Sheppard Jr   40,688     82,406       123,094

W Edward Tarty       45,861     82,309     128,169

Comments (9)

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What is the real savings?
written by rasputinkhlyst, January 16, 2010

If one person dies in a prison riot or a prisoner's rights union sues? How about the sanitation problems as bodily fluids are tossed about by irate inmates?

An enlightened policy decriminalizing marijuana would go a long way towards saving money as would more extensive use of home bracelet programs for non violent offenders. Also consider the savings in medical expenses as prison populations are reduced.

Its time for REAL change.

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written by DeusEx, January 16, 2010

Prison guards making as much as lawyers and doctors for the same hours... only government could devise such a ludicrously imbalanced and inefficient division of labor and pay. Anybody who has taken an econ class should be able to explain the absurdity in that.

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written by leekhat, January 16, 2010

I think that home bracelets are a good option for some non-violent offenders. I know one person who is restricted that way and his movements are extremely limited and he cannot do the activities that got him into trouble in the first place. Also, he is not learning worse behaviors or meeting unsavory people which he might do in prison.

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written by a guest, January 16, 2010

Agree completely leekhat, but most crimes shouldn't be crimes in the first place. No victim, no crime. This especially includes all drug and "possession" crimes.

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DeusEx
written by rasputinkhlyst, January 16, 2010

You can't actually believe that prison guards are less worthwhile to society than lawyers? Or that CEOs are worth much at all do you? WOW talk about messed up values. The class is already determined in most cases. Mobility is very limited in the USA compared to most developed nations. Its already mostly fixed. Try running a country without teachers or garbage collectors. But we sure could do without Blackwater and have a better world.

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Many Good Points
written by Bruce Reilly, January 16, 2010

The Guest's response should be taken quite seriously. There are hundreds of people at the ACI who a majority of RI'ers would likely agree have not committed anything worthy of being a crime.
Hundreds more who the majority would agree are over-sentenced by YEARS.
Hundreds more who the majority would agree are better off (for all) on a home confinement bracelet.

We should be starting on that end, before we begin any debate about violent criminals who admit their guilt. (FYI: only a small percentage of prisoners are appealing their cases and maintaining their innocence).

If the state can't agree that all our residents are worthy of a $10 living wage, it is hard to swallow that a prison guard is worth six figures.

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Rock
written by Rock, January 23, 2010

Great Job Mr Reilly, your attack on Senator Tassoni makes no sense. It seems like your blog is it about some thoughtless vendetta you have with the criminal justice system and the ACI Guards. His press release had NOTHING to do with the 1500 guards’ paycheck reduction. I believe it was an intelligent idea to save the taxpayers of Rhode Island money by using existing vacant prison space to house Federal or INS inmates that are currently being housed in private for profit jails like the Wyatt Detention Center.
The ACI is currently violating your stated standards of confinement regularly. Only to save money! The overtime costs are caused by a hiring freeze and retirements, not sick time by the guards. The ISC where these lockdowns are happening also is having inmates sleep on the floor of the committing room, the hospital ward and in segregation even though it has (4) cell blocks closed just to save money!
Your foolish attack on Senator Tassoni leads me to believe you have an agenda. You should publicize who you really are when you attack the men and women who put their lives at risk at the ACI. In 1992 CCRI Professor Charles Russell was brutally beaten and stabbed to death by Bruce Reilly, if you are the same Bruce Reily. Then your idiotic and erroneous rants expose your real issue. You are what is wrong with the system. Our criminal justice system needs to be overhauled from top to bottom. We constantly turn career criminals loose on the streets to prey upon the innocent families of Rhode Island.
Finally, it is the prisoners, Mr. Reilly financially speaking, who cost the taxpayers’ money not just for their incarceration but also from the pain, suffering and financial loss as a victim of crime. When a criminal is arrested Rhode Islanders should check out the DOC inmate search and see the criminals’ past record at http://www.doc.ri.gov/inmate_search/search.php or at the RI Superior Court web site http://www.courts.state.ri.us/ You will be shocked!

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Who attacked Tassoni?
written by Bruce Reilly, January 24, 2010

The criticism of a proposal is not an attack on the proponent. I assume any criticism of your input would also seem (to you) to be an attack against you?

Mr. Rock, you sound like a prison guard. My "agenda" is quite clear to everyone: finding a smart approach to the criminal justice system, which includes budgets and the humanitarian impact on society. It also includes preventive efforts, not just reactionary efforts. What is your agenda?

"You are what is wrong with the system," you say. Would you mind sharing what is right?

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Wake up Rhode Island
written by Rock, January 24, 2010

Mr. Reilly, I disagree. Your blog entry mentions Sen Tassoni 9 times by name, so it does appear to be a slam on Senator Tassoni. I do not take your criticism as a personal attack, but your use the term “Prison Guard” probably was!

I think your agenda is what you believe is best. But once again I disagree and question your “agenda”. Our criminal justice system needs to be overhauled from top to bottom. Although I believe we have different solutions to address its failings. I support a smart approach to the criminal justice system which would include putting more police on the street, put more criminals in prison, focus more on the habitual criminals, keep violent criminals in prison longer, provide alternative sentencing for non violent offenders and develop strong and effective community programs which prevent and discourage crime.

Regarding budget, there have been a number of studies that demonstrate for every $1 spent on incarceration it saves society $12 in the cost of crime, not to mention such immeasurable but very real costs as grief, fear and anger. In dealing with our state's crime problem, cost is not the fundamental issue. Indifference is. I am appalled by lackadaisical approach some Rhode Islanders and the media take regarding the issue of crime in this state. Rhode Island’s 65,758 crimes in 2008 which included 30 murders, 671 sexual assaults, and the over 10,000 assaults is unacceptable to me.

What is wrong is that violent criminals on average serve only 5.5 years for murder or 3 years for rape and with the new “Good Time Bill” felons will now serve even less! You, Mr. Reilly by the nature of your criminal history of having served something like 8 years for your murder and larceny conviction is what is wrong!

Finally, you are wrong again, Mr. Reilly I am not a “prison guard” but a Correctional Officer, a father, a husband, a brother and taxpayer who will no longer stand on the sideline and watch innocent people victimized.

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