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Subcommittee backs bill to regulate pricing at Department of Corrections canteens
Summary
House Bill 3,929 received a 5-0 favorable report from the Domestic Relations Business and Probate Law Subcommittee; the bill would establish statutory provisions governing Department of Corrections canteens and cap prices for items sold if a facility elects to operate a canteen.
The Domestic Relations Business and Probate Law Subcommittee voted unanimously to give House Bill 3,929 a favorable report. Filed by Representative John King, the bill would establish statutory provisions governing how the South Carolina Department of Corrections manages facility canteens and set limits on pricing for items sold at those canteens, where a facility elects to operate one.
Representative King said he filed the bill after hearing concerns from family members of incarcerated people who reported high prices for basic items. "I believe that there's price gouging within the system," King said, and offered an example cited in the meeting in which a small deodorant cost "like, $10." Representative David Martin asked whether the bill would be mandatory; King confirmed the bill, as drafted and discussed in the meeting, would apply in the event a warden or facility manager chooses to operate a canteen and would regulate pricing and operations when a canteen is permitted.
Committee members ordered a roll call; Representatives Bernstein, Paula Calhoun, Val Gass, John King and David Martin all voted "aye," producing a 5–0 favorable report. The transcript records that the bill is permissive in application (it regulates canteen operation and pricing "if they do allow it") and does not compel facilities to operate canteens. The committee discussion did not specify the statutory price caps or enforcement mechanisms; those details were not read into the record during the meeting.
