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Subcommittee backs bill to limit canteen prices in Department of Corrections facilities
Summary
House Bill 3,929 would establish statutory provisions for how the Department of Corrections manages prison canteens and cap prices for items sold; the subcommittee gave the bill a favorable report.
The Domestic Relations, Business and Probate Law Subcommittee gave a favorable report to House Bill 3,929, a measure by Representative John King that would establish statutory provisions governing how the South Carolina Department of Corrections manages canteens and the pricing of items sold in them.
Representative John King said he filed the bill after hearing from families of incarcerated people who complained about high canteen prices. "I believe that there's price gouging within the system," King said, and cited family accounts that small items such as a travel-size deodorant were sold for about $10.
A subcommittee member asked for clarification whether the bill would require prisons to operate canteens or would instead regulate canteen pricing if a warden chooses to allow canteens. The sponsor said the measure is permissive: it would not require canteens but would regulate pricing and operation if a facility chooses to maintain a canteen.
A roll-call vote recorded five ayes and no votes against — Representative Bernstein, Representative Paula Calhoun, Representative Guess, Representative John King and Representative David Martin — giving HB 3,929 a favorable report from the subcommittee.
The bill will proceed to the next stage of consideration in the House.
