Inmates Take Swipe at Toilet Paper Cuts
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) - Toilet paper is becoming a sought after commodity at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility after officials began limiting inmates to one roll at a time to trim costs.
Steve Schneider, public information officer for the prison, said officials also restated restrictions on other personal items, including soap and toothpaste, as a result of stockpiling and overuse.
The increased enforcement has angered many of the more than 1,600 inmates.
"Some take this for granted," inmate Carl Kennedy said in a letter to The Hutchinson News. "But in here it's part of a safeguard for widespread infections. We use it to blow our noses, clean sinks, toilets and tables."
Prison officials said the policy could save the prison nearly $600 each month. But Schneider insists inmates won't go without toilet paper.
One side effect of the policy could be that toilet paper will become a new form of currency among inmates. "Anything you restrict becomes a thing of value," Schneider added. "It automatically becomes a means of dealing and trading."
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