Coffee Creek Endangers Inmates By Turning Off Heat To Save Money
I am so amazingly concerned about what has happened here. During the worst winter storm in nearly 40 years Coffee Creek Correctional Facility (CCCF) in Wilsonville, OR chooses to turn off the heat instead of paying the higher fuel rates. Endangering the health and safety of 1500 inmates. ONE OF WHICH IS MY DAUGHTER.
I understand all too well this is not a resort. It is a a prison. But…Tiffany was not sentenced to death. This decision that CCCF made was so amazingly irresponsible. I feel helpless. There is nothing I can do to help her.
Cold spell means cold showers at women’s prison
by Steve Mayes, The Oregonian
Saturday December 20, 2008, 2:18 PM
Inmates at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility learned Saturday morning that they weren’t immune from the crummy weather.
The prison is one of 180 large NW Natural customers who were given a choice: shift to the back-up fuel systems or pay higher rates during the current cold spell.
The prison, some universities and big manufacturing firms among others have “interruptible service contracts,” said NW Natural spokesman Cory Beck. Those customers pay lower rates because they agree to shift to an alternate fuel sources or pay higher rates under certain conditions, such as long periods of cold weather, Beck said.
The company notified customers a few days ago that it was imposing the requirement. It will be in effect until at least Monday, Beck said.
Until then, almost 1,500 Coffee Creek inmates won’t get hot showers or more than one hot meal a day, said Department of Corrections spokeswoman Jennifer Black. The Wilsonville prison started using it’s propane-fueled back-up system Saturday morning.
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Yikes, Deb, that’s awful! Who do you go to when prisons cross that line from humane to cruel? I know from my brother’s experience that there’s much more inhumanity than any of us ever knows about. I’m sorry.
This is what happens when we privatize (spelling?) prisons. …. Effed up. We should dhave NEVER put our correctional facilities in the hands of private business!
They gotta make a buck, Deb!