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Subcommittee backs bill to set limits on Department of Corrections canteen pricing
Summary
House Bill 3,929 would establish statutory parameters governing Department of Corrections canteens and cap prices on items sold to inmates; the subcommittee gave the bill a favorable report.
House Bill 3,929, filed by Representative John King, would establish statutory provisions governing how the Department of Corrections manages its canteens and the pricing of items sold there. The Domestic Relations Business and Probate Law Subcommittee gave the bill a favorable report Thursday by a 5-0 vote.
Representative King said he filed the bill because of concerns about high prices for basic items in prison canteens. "I believe that there's price gouging within the system, in the canteens," King said, adding that relatives of incarcerated people had reported paying about $10 for a small stick of deodorant. King said the bill would place a cap on how much can be charged when a canteen is authorized to operate.
A committee member clarified that the measure would not require prisons to operate canteens; rather, it would set standards if a warden or facility manager chooses to allow a canteen. "It would be up to the warden or whoever manages that prison itself. They would make the decision as to whether or not this goes in, but if they do allow it, this is just a regulation of how it will be operated and maintained," the member said.
The subcommittee voted 5-0 to send HB 3,929 forward with a favorable report. Representatives Bernstein, Calhoun, Guest, King and Martin recorded aye votes and the meeting minutes reflect the favorable report and roll-call vote.
