Cuomo Gouges NYS Inmates in Opportunistic Attempt to Balance Budget
| Revision History | ||
|---|---|---|
| • February 1992 | Newspaper: Funded by Syracuse University students. | |
| The Alternative Orange: Vol. 1, No. 4 (pp. 2,15) | ||
| • August 27, 2000 | Webpage:  . | |
| DocBook XML (DocBk XML V3.1.3) from original. | ||
Because of gross budgetary mismanagement and the consequential budge deficit squeeze, Governor Mario Cuomo wants state "prison inmates," as spokesman for the Department of Corrections (DOCs) James Flateau put it, " feel the pinch too." To a psychologically inclined mind, this represents a form of "displacement," — a defense mechanism or dis(ease) in which the blame for an ill (budgetary deficit) is transferred to a lesser, passive object (like the state prison population). Usually, as any psychologist will tell you, displacement becomes a vehicle of expression when the true source of blame is personally, socially, or politically unacceptable. This makes one wonder, what is Governor Cuomo trying to hide? It is his political aspirations, legislative/DOCS pressure, financial pilfering? Only Cuomo knows and he's not telling.
Nevertheless, we, the indigent state prison population, are being forced between the governmental vice of mismanagement so that we too can feel the "pinch" of the budgetary grip. IT matters none to Cuomo that state inmates already suffer from personal budgetary strains. Often without family financial support, we struggle to survive on the state-generated pay wages that we "earn" for services rendered. For most of us this "pay" amounts to about $5 bi-weekly — Our only source of survival which Cuomo threatens to take away. We look forward to this pay in order to purchase hygienic and toiletry items that are desperately needed (not to mention nutritional supplements).
Cuomo's proposal (now an "executive directive") seeks to fine inmates for $5 and impose and administrative penalty (cell or Special Housing Unit [box] restriction for an extended period of time, etc.) per facility rules violation upon being found guilty. This has undercurrents of "double jeopardy": impose a fine plus disciplinary actions! In an unnatural environment, where tickets (violations) are the order of the day and almost unavoidable, we are now subjected to lose hard earned "wages" at the whim of any officer who wishes to "order" us around, wherever, whenever, and however he chooses. A refusal of such is inevitably going to result in an almost automatic and unbeatable violation of "refusing a direct order," enough to encumber what little money we have. It is also rumored that $2 of every $5 dollar fine will go toward the officer's "salary" (for uniform purchasing, etc.) , thereby offering material incentive to officers to give as many tickets as possible.
To compound matters and to worsen our situation, Cuomo has also directed Thomas A. Coughlin III, commissioner of corrections, to discontinue the "10% subsidy of goods sold in the prison commissaries," "strip prisoners of the $40 they receive when they are discharged," and charge "inmates a 425 fee when they receive a high school equivalency or vocational certificate" — and all to help balance the state's wary budget. This is preposterous! Irrespective of my opinion, however, these changes have already been or are soon going to be put into effect.
As implied above, most inmates only source of income (monies) come from earned wages. With the impending threat to take this away from us and impose other fees upon us, we are literally being squeezed to financial death by Cuomo's propensity to make us "feel the pinch."
Besides being a violation of our constitutional amendment rights (5th — double jeopardy for fine and discipline action, and due process violation, 8th fine imposed which exceeds our income, et. all), we find the said necessity to implement Cuomo's directive to be contradictory in itself.
First, Cuomo has stressed how these privileges (10% commissary subsidy, et. al.) have been nipping away at the state's budget and how the implementation of these changes will save the state millions of dollars. Yet, information circulated by Commissioner Coughlin makes it clear that the very same monies that Cuomo claims come from the state budget are in fact generated from the inmates "home-phone program," and visiting room vending machine contracts. From the home-phone program alone the state made $8,891,700 during the 1990-1991 fiscal year! One million, five hundred thousand is allocated for state prison's commissary's 10% discount, with the other funds going toward programs such as family busing, inmate postage, and so forth. Nonetheless, Cuomo still claims that by discontinuing this 105 subsidy that it will wave the "state" 1.5 million dollars. Yet, this money is inmate generated and not monies from the state budget as the Governor implies! In short, the very programs that Cuomo is cutting out and cutting into are paid for by the (labor of) inmates Cuomo is misleading the public as to the source of his budgetary woes and, as is too often the case, blaming those who often suffer the most from government failings.
We, concerned inmates and prison advocacy groups, have the evidence, we need someone — you — to expose this contradiction and obvious cover-up by Governor Cuomo (a cover-up perpetuated by a recent article in the January 19th issue of the Herald-American--A.O.).
If you are concerned about New York's fiscal fiasco and the humane treatment of prisoners contact me at the following address: Mr. Ronald L. Robertson 90A-2396, Internal Vice President of the Inner City Branch of the NAACP: 135 State St., P.O. Box 618, Auburn, New York, 13024-9000.
Or contact or contact any prison advocacy group in your area (particularly your local branch of the N.A.A.C.P.).
We thank you for your time, consideration, and effort in helping us to help ourselves.
Sincerely,
Mr. Ronald L. Robertson
