New Rule...Approved State Work Shoes

[Barb]

My son informed me today that the Hughes Unit has purchased hundreds
of pairs of canvas slip on shoes that they are calling "State Work
Shoes". Every inmate, regardless of your job, cannot report to wrok
wearing anything but the "New, State Work Shoe." Keep in mind that
there is a rule that each inmate is allowed to have only 2 pair of
shoes, 1 pair of tennis shoes and a pair of work boots, which they had
to purchase from the commissary. They are being told that they will
have to destroy one pair of the shoes they already have in their
possession...being a pair that we, the families, have paid for. AND,
if the shoes wear out before the time the State feels they should, YOU
will have to replace them at YOUR cost, which will probadly be at
least 4 times more than they should cost!! How did the State come up
with the money to make this stupid purchase and justify the closing of
units, cuts in MEDICAL and FOOD and many other cuts????????? I feel
lthis money could have been used in a more productive way!

Barb

[Jan Logsdon]

I agree Barb. Highly suspect decision.

Jan

> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "TIFA Talk" group.
> To post to this group, send email to tifa...@googlegroups.com.
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
> tifa-talk+...@googlegroups.com.
> For more options, visit this group at
> http://groups.google.com/group/tifa-talk?hl=en.
>
>

[Antonio Renaud]

No inmate has to purchase work boots from the commissary. They sell Rhino brand leather boots in the commissary. Those are not required in any job. The commissary sells two types of shoes - tennis shoes and Rhinos. TDCJ has been issuing the canvas shoes for years, but if you work in the fields or in an industry, they issue you work boots.

[Jan Logsdon]

So it is just a misunderstanding of procedure?

[free2010]

Jan,
The units I was on- shoes varied. On a transfer- say buster cole- If
your job did not require state issue work boots the you got state made
canvas. The canvas are way more uncomfortable than the issued boots.
Any job requiring work boots- the state issues them. An offender does
not purchase these,
At stevenson, no canvas shoes were issued. only state boots. One can
purchase leather Rhinos boots or tennis shoes from the commissary like
Antonio said.. If you are medically unassigned- or full time in
school, one can purchase both kinds. You just have to go to boot call
and turn in the state boots. you can only have 2 pair of any
combination, plus shower shoes. That part about paying for them- its a
rumor. The canvas are state made so the quality is poor- and they
weigh almost as much as the state boots.
Hope this helps.

[Antonio Renaud]

thanks, free2010. good encapsulation. And depending on the unit, you will not be allowed but two pair of shoes. So if you're bought tennis and Rhinos, and they put you in a job that requires state-issued boots, you will be ordered to get rid of one pair of your commissary-bought shoes. Either send them home or destroy them.

and yeah, the canvas shoes are terrible.

i used to play a lot of handball and i played in state boots. would wear them out pretty quickly on the concrete courts. i'd go to the bootline and they'd get upset, saying, "You just got some last month." I'd say, "Well, these are shot. I'm in the fields. You have to get me some more. Sorry." And they would. Never had to pay for them.

But that may be on the horizon. Just not at that point yet.

--

[free2010]

Yeah Antonio- been there done that got the calluses to show for it....

On Mar 6, 9:12 pm, Antonio Renaud <jarenaud1...@gmail.com> wrote:
> thanks, free2010. good encapsulation. And depending on the unit, you will
> not be allowed but two pair of shoes. So if you're bought tennis and Rhinos,
> and they put you in a job that requires state-issued boots, you will be
> ordered to get rid of one pair of your commissary-bought shoes. Either send
> them home or destroy them.
> and yeah, the canvas shoes are terrible.
> i used to play a lot of handball and i played in state boots. would wear
> them out pretty quickly on the concrete courts. i'd go to the bootline and
> they'd get upset, saying, "You just got some last month." I'd say, "Well,
> these are shot. I'm in the fields. You have to get me some more. Sorry." And
> they would. Never had to pay for them.
> But that may be on the horizon. Just not at that point yet.
>

[Jan Logsdon]

Thanks free, Antonio, it's does help,

Jan

[Louise]

Currently my son has finished Phases I & II of the Grad Program at Ramsey.
He's now in Phase III for 3 months which is basically a return to general
population. Also for Grad students it means the half day work program (no
more classes...Grad is a 9 month long program) "in the fields". For work
they are issued rubber boots there because it is usually wet/muddy in the
produce fields in that area. As Antonio and free have indicated here,
inmates are not required to purchase boots or shoes for work.

My own theory is that Grads have to remain on Ramsey for the extra three
months prior to graduation in order to supply TDCJ with a continual group of
inmates for the field work. Since they no longer attend classes anymore I
see no reason why they don't graduate at the end of Phase II. My husband
says it is to see how well they can really adjust to being back in general
population again tho. Permanrntly assigned inmates work in the furniture
factory or on other jobs. Grads with medical restrictions work in the
laundry or kitchen.

[Antonio Renaud]

I spent quite a bit of time on Ramsey. The idea that they need cons to work in the fields would almost have to be predicated on the idea that there is meaningful work to do out there; that they had vegetables to be planted, cultivated and harvested, and thus they needed capable bodies. 

But this isn't so. Most of the field work on Ramsey, as most of the the field work in TDCJ now, is make work - cleaning under fence lines, clearing weeds from the sides of bayous, and work of that nature. One man with a tractor and mower can do all of this work. The field force exists because of the TDCJ belief that cons need to be taught discipline, and the way to do that is to make them do hard work.

The cotton fields and huge vegetable patches that once existed are mostly bare. A few still remain, but two or three squads of 25 men each are all that are required to manage those.  
Few TDCJ units produce enough to actually require a large force of inmates to do meaningful work. The outside trusties drive the tractors and do the mechanical work necessary to a farm. All the field forces do is nonessential. 

I'm saying this to try to address the idea that GRAD students, or any other group of cons, is "necessary" for anything other than essential duties - laundry, kitchen, etc. Since they're not necessary, the assumption that the system is keeping them there to do that work is akin to the myth that TDCJ denies some guys parole because the skills they possess and the jobs they perform are so "necessary" to the running of the system.

TDCJ has over 160,000 cons. Whatever job a guy has, there is always a dozen that do it better. No one is essential. It does us no good to believe that the system intentionally seeks out and perpetuates policies that then "need" certain convicts. The system does not "need" bodies. It has them in abundance. Our focus needs to be more on ensuring that the needs of our relatives are met. We need to dwell in positives, not in myths. 

[Louise]

Since TDCJ has an over abundance of inmates to do all jobs then why keep excess grad students on at Ramsey...why not just send them on to their next units? Most of the grad students that have made it through the majority of the program don't make problems so why the theory of TDCJ does nothing field work for "discipline" only. Grads don't want to get into trouble of any kind as they know/understand they'll only be sent back to Ad Seg. 

 

I'm perfectly aware that trustees there do the majority of real farming.  The grads pick broccoli, lettuce and cabbage...not weeds.  My son has been incarcerated for 18 years at 6 different units thus far.  If I did not still dwell on mostly all " positives" then you could accuse me of dwelling only on "myths".  And if I still couldn't deal on positives, and still have the belief that we can all keep trying to change things for inmates for the better, than I would not have been a Tifa member for the past 13 years. I was merely expressing my own opinion as to why grad students are doing field work there since I can't see the reason for it; I wasn't stating a fact....just an opinion.

[free2010]

Louise,
Please accept what Antonio is saying is just as it is. As an ex-con
myself- I tend to be brutally honest with myself and really try to
tone it down with others. I'm pretty sure he was not judging you or
accusing you of anything. Because of our incarceration, we had to
learn to communicate without emotion attached to it. Sometimes its a
hard habit to break.
I'm proud that your son completed the program. Most do not. That shows
a lot of courage and strength on his part. From the grad students I
knew, most indicated they kept them around for a few reasons. 1. to
see how they do in general population, and 2. TDCJ is not quick when
transfers happen. There's is so very much information that is gathered
to see where one will best fit. Best fit is not necessarily close to
home. I thought I would wind up in north Texas somewhere. Didn't
happen.
Age is one of the first factors. Height and weight, medical needs,
skin color(yes- they try to mix all), school needs/wants, ability to
work(besides fields), attitude, and many others. It is a whole
department within TDCJ for placements.
I am grateful you care so much for your son. I saw many, many inmates
whose families had abandoned them. It is one of the greatest fears an
inmate has - whether they admit it or not.