MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Department of Corrections recently announced its’ switch from having three different prison supply vendors to just one.
According to DOC officials, the change is being made for the sake of efficiency. According to Ex-incarcerated People Organizing (EXPO), it’s a costly mistake.
“There’s going to be a mad dash for people to stock up on these items because they’re gonna lose this service,” said Ramiah Whiteside, a former inmate and EXPO organizer. “Now you’re going to have an understaffed, overwhelmed property system have to process even more orders last minute.”
Beyond vendor logistics, Whiteside says the transition will be just as difficult for incarcerated people. He says the shift not only deprives inmates of the freedom of choice but also contradicts existing laws.
“You have a rule in place that specifically that specifically says we would like our directly impacted people, our prisoners to have a choice.”
Whiteside is referring to DOC 309 Subsection 2, paragraph D, which states that inmates must have a “sufficient number or enterprises” to choose from in order to ensure “a reasonable selection and a competitive price.”
The DOC says their new vendor system won’t impact inmates’ access to a variety of goods or drive up prices, but many EXPO members say the department’ stance contradicts its rules – and sets a bad example for inmates.
“We start to create a lack of confidence in that very same system you want us to honor,” said Whiteside.
Dennis Franklin, a new member of EXPO, echoed Whiteside’s concerns.
“Even when there were two vendors … it was always a problem where they’d be out of the items for 3,4,5,6 months at a time,” said Franklin.
“You’re dealing with warranty issues, you’re dealing with stuff being out of stock, something not working correctly.”
The DOC says that these are non-issues, citing the work being done by Union Supply, their soon-to-be only vendor. According to Anna Neal, a communications coordinator, Union Supply has been working with the DOC “to establish a comprehensive catalog that will contain products of comparable quality and price to those offered through other, current supplier catalogs.”
Neal also said that inmates would be given the option to order things from non-contracted vendors if approved by the facility.
But EXPO members remain concerned.
“People who are incarcerated really have very little to look forward to,” said Ron Schroeder, an EXPO organizer. “Adding to anxiety in a prison environment, it has the potential to compromise the security and order of that institution.”
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