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Luzerne County’s prison system is switching from white to brown sheets to disguise stains that won’t come out in the wash, correctional services division head Mark Rockovich said during his recent budget presentation.
He blamed some of his increased budget request for linen on inmates regularly and intentionally ripping sheets, in some cases because they contain rust marks from the steel beds.
“They don’t want to use it,” he told the county council, referring to a clean but stained sheet.
Torn sheets must be thrown out, he said. The correctional supply officer suggested converting to brown sheets, which also cost $2.60 each, after the stock of remaining white ones are used up, Rockovich said.
“Hopefully we’ll see a savings there,” Rockovich told the council. “These are all the things we have to look at and try to do.”
The subject came up as the council spent more than two hours picking apart the correctional services budget, which includes administration, the prison and minimal offenders unit.
The division’s budget request is increasing. Its 2017 request is $28.5 million, which is $5.58 million less than 2016. However, the 2016 budget includes $6.65 million for employee health insurance and retirement expenses that were removed from individual department budgets in 2017 in favor of a lump-sum countywide allocation.
Rockovich is seeking $7,600 for linen at the prison and minimal offenders unit, compared to $1,950 in 2016. While the ripping of sheets by inmates is part of the problem, the expense was not sufficiently funded in the past to cover wear and tear replacement, he said.
The prison’s average daily inmate population was 738 in September — 531 at the prison on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre and 208 at the nearby minimal offenders unit on Reichard Street, according to the latest division head report submitted to the council.
The linen expense also covers towels and blankets, he said. The inmate sheets are 130 thread count.
Council Vice Chairman Tim McGinley asked if inmates are forced to reimburse the county for damaged sheets.
Inmates must pay restitution if they are caught intentionally damaging sheets, Rockovich said.
Councilman Stephen A. Urban asked about the monitoring of sheets.
“You know sheets were missing when Hugo Selenski escaped because there was no accountability,” he said, describing the convicted murderer’s ability to climb out through a prison window using a rope made of bed sheets he had stockpiled inside his mattress in 2003.
Rockovich said a strict sheet policy is enforced. The sheets are not fitted, and each inmate receives two — one to cover the mattress and one as a cover under the blanket. Sheets are laundered at the prison, and inmates can’t receive a new weekly set until they turn in the two dirty sheets, he said.
Sheets also are counted during periodic random cell inspections, he said.
The division’s proposed budget also includes $26,000 to cover laundry supplies, which is not an increase from 2016. The request for inmate clothing increased from $25,000 to $26,000.
In response to an inquiry from Urban, Rockovich said each inmate receives two T-shirts, a pair of sneakers, a jacket and two jumpsuits. The clothing is washed and reused, he said.