The Institutionalization of Beggarhood
by Phillip Jablonski

Let me share with your readers the struggle that an indigent inmate suffers.

First of all, the indigent inmate is expected to shower with two bars of soap a month. When requesting another bar, the usual answer is, "we are out," thus making it hard for the indigent inmate to keep up with his personal hygiene. Then, we are issused two packs of toothpowder, which are expected to last a month.

As an indigent inmate, I have no access to college programs or the institutional TV network, because the college program is only allowed to inmates with means to buy a TV set.

Indigent defendants are also issued five N.S.F. envelopes a week. Two of these envelopes are allowed for foreign correspondance limited to one ounce. This is a problem in my case, for all m y correspondence is foreign.

Then, we are allowed to request 20 sheets of unlined writing paper for correspondance & legal work. If you ask the officer who passes out the paper that you need additional sheets, he has to check to see if you are sending any legal work out to the courts.

We are also issued four pen refills upon request. Since they will not issue pens, you have to write with refils if you don't have a pen.

If you go to sick call & you are indigent, a hold is placed on your account for 30-days to recover the $5.00 charge for sick call. That also applies to any copies you make of your legal work.

I am not an indigent inmate by choice. I am a professional artisst and could support myself if I were permitted access to the hobby program. But without funds, this isn't possible. To be abloe to sell your work through the hobby shop, you have to be involved in the hobby program.

I am permitted to mail out my artwork through the program to my correspondents, but I must pay for the postage. There's no escaping the fact that if you are an indigent inmate, you suffer at the hands of the state.