Murderer: Stateville Squeezing Inmates at Prison Store
A convicted murderer has petitioned the Will County court with a complaint about Stateville charging too much for commissary.
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It's bad enough having to pull an 80-year prison sentence, but when they start overcharging you for soap, toothpaste and deodorant, something's got to give.
A convicted murderer locked up at Stateville Correctional Center filed a petition in Will Count Court claiming that he's been subjected to price-gouging by prison officials.
In his court filing, Robert Hernandez, 51, accuses Department of Corrections officials of flaunting a recommendation by the Illinois Auditor General to review the markup on items sold in prison commissaries.
Stateville, and other correctional centers, slaps a 25 percent increase on items sold from prison commissaries, according to the petition. The extra prison tax is 35 percent on tobacco products, the filing claims.
The surcharge is ostensibly in place to offset the wages and benefits of commissary employees, said an exhibit attached to the filing, but the markup does not match up with state law or the Unified Code of Corrections.
Hernandez raised the issue to the Stateville grievance officer but did not find satisfaction, according to the petition. He then appealed to the Department of Corrections' Administrative Review Board but was again rejected, the filing said.
Hernandez was convicted of murdering his girlfriend and trying, but failing, to murder a man he found her in bed with in 1986. He was living in Romeoville at the time of the killing and committed the murder in Downers Grove, according to court papers. He stabbed both his girlfriend and the other man with a pair of scissors.
Hernandez is up for parole in 2026.
In addition to forcing the Department of Corrections to reduce the surcharge on commissary items, Hernandez wants his commissary account credited for "all ill-gotten funds since Nov. 1, 2005." He figures that amounts to about $542.26.
In his filing, Hernandez pointed out that the prison commissary is the only place he can purchase such essentials as soap, toothpaste, deodorant, thermal underwear, gloves, hats, shoes, summer shorts, sunblock, aspirin, writing and correspondence material, and a fan.
He also noted that Stateville is locked down 23 hours a day, seven days a week and is "not air-conditioned, nor is there windows within the cells, making the fan (a) necessity."
Renata Williams
4:18 pm on Monday, December 10, 2012
I wonder how hard it is without a fan when you are buried in a casket like his victim?
Debbie
6:55 pm on Monday, December 10, 2012
Look, I knew both the victim and Bob. And the inmates are human and NOBODY should be taken advantage of not even prisoners.
GREG CRUCE
7:44 pm on Monday, December 10, 2012
Scrape of the barrell,Shouldnt even be ALIVE to be taken advantage of!
Danielle
6:49 am on Friday, December 14, 2012
@ Debbie: if you saw a few pictures of my sister after what he did..I doubt you would make such a statement or feel sorry for him. The fact that he is still sucking air is sickening. He is a burden on society and to his family.. that's on him, not the rest of America. He gets to do all kinds of things everday.. breathe, eat, exercise, work, go to the library OH WAIT... DID YOU KNOW HE GOT MARRIED WHILE IN PRISON? Had the family there for his wedding AND they get to consumate the marriage in prison too? Let's see Deb... my sister? Dead. Never married. No siblings for her daughter. hmmmm Yes. I feel real outrage that prisoners have to PAY for upgraded toothpaste and to buy fans because their cell is hot. Boo Hoo!
R. Paxson
1:43 pm on Saturday, December 15, 2012
Leave it to the press to remind us of the atrocities going on in the cell block. Instead of writing about poor Mr. Hernandez, maybe Hosey should send him a monthy check covering the cost of the "surcharge" thereby sparing us his prose and the public cost of Hernandez's litigation effort.
chris
4:58 pm on Monday, December 10, 2012
I think they should be charged for cable. Laundry electric and heat at a minimum.
former idoc staff
5:22 pm on Monday, December 10, 2012
they failed to tell you that he has an inmate job and gets paid by the state funds for the prison. he doent get much like if works as an cook he might get 30 to 40 dallors an month but the money still cames form the tax payers the commissary. soap toothpaste shampoo toliet paper are given free of charge to inmates.when they ask for it. and all illinois corrections prisons are smoke free they do get free cable
GREG CRUCE
7:45 pm on Monday, December 10, 2012
Gotta answer to the man upstairs,Good Luck with that one!
forget me
12:38 am on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Basically its the families that are giving their loved ones the money. So its double punishment. You cant always blame the family for what their loved ones do. No matter what they are human.
formore idoc staf
3:06 am on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
how is this double punishment. he gets free meals free cable free medical treatment at the expense of tax payers .and his family gets to visit him 3 4 times an month he has an outdate he will be out of prison now go to the cemetery and ask his victim when is his outdate
forget me
12:49 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
You are not grasping my jist. I am not an advocate for the inmate. I am saying the family suffers double. One for their loved one being in jail in the first place and on top of it, paying for the phone calls, food & other items.
Danielle
5:58 am on Friday, December 14, 2012
As the sister of his victim... my first comment is: SHE WAS NOT found in bed with her boyfried! She was fully clothed and putting on her shoes when he broke down a door to her boyfriends apartment. However, even if that WERE the case...it seems like people justify that as a reason. He didn't just stab her... he mutilated her! Sick of poor, poor him. Yes, I go to the cemetary to visit my sister AND my brother who committed suicide 9 months later.. guess he couldn't handle his visits with her. In my opinion... people who commit heinous crimes should get the same.. if not, they should dig a ditch ALL day.. then fill it.. then do it again tomorrow. I think it's more humane than what they did to their victims.. don't you? My sister was 23 and had a 2 year old daughter.. he wasn't worried about her or his child... why should we care if he has to use a FAN TO KEEP COOL? He has no AIR CONDITIONING? Sorry folks, I am shaking and shocked to have come accross this on the Patch. What a way to start my day... poor, Bob.
lala
6:27 am on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Is this an early April Fool joke? People should think before they commit crimes.
forget me
12:59 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Yes they should think before, but in reality it doesn't always happen for whatever reason. You cannot have one mentality for all crimes.
John Roberts
7:03 am on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
And who pays for the extra charges? Who pays for the higher prices? Most of the time it is the Families of the prisoners.Not the prisoners them selves...not everyone has a prison job or can even get one..The families are the ones that are drained of money..And people can say well that's their fault...But it is not the families of prisoners fault..This is the system we have chosen to deal with people.we didn't choose to expel them from the U.S... We didnt choose to murder them with the death penalty,we chose to house them and feed them and clothe them..and tell ya the truth it is a good thing..Look how many people were cleared with DNA after they were executed..how many people were cleared after it was found that the police tortured people to get false confessions,...The prisons make damn well enough money they don't have to extort or price gouge the prisoners families whom they know will take care of their loved one in prison...
John Roberts
7:08 am on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
It always sucks when a good point is brought up by someone that did something wrong and other people suffer from it...This guy has a good point.. But not comming from him.it seems like a bad one..But think about the people that went to jail for marijuanawith 2 states legalizing it,non violent people should not be in prison...To me not even Bernnie Mack...To me he didn't do anything wrong..People gave them their money with out doing any homework,they ignored the deal with if it s too good to be true,and Absolutly volunteered to give him their money...But he got 150 years and the guy who murdered a child gets 20 and if he rats someone out he gets a lesser sentence...There are a lot of people in prison that do not belong.
SylvanGoddess
7:03 am on Thursday, December 13, 2012
There you go, using logic and common sense in this discussion (smile). I agree that this inmate brings up a valid point. The remainder of your posting distracts from your first statement as it relates to what is or is not illegal or what sort of sentencing guidelines are in place.
Prisons cost money, they are a drain upon society, convicts have given up their rights to live within a free society for the duration of their sentence. We should not be trying to justify marking up commissary items by saying it offsets the cost of the employees. That is a slippery slope and once we go in that direction then we can say that any sort of work (and income) that comes while being a convict should be used to offset the expenses of incarceration. Heck, while we are at it lets use that labor to reduce the state debt.
Sooner or later you would just be forced to call it what it would become, slavery.
Patty Northrop
9:35 am on Sunday, December 16, 2012
You are confusing your Bernies. Bernie Mac was a comedian that is dead. Bernie Madoff is serving prison time.
goddess
12:39 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Is the 25% markup on retail prices or wholesale? Do we have any example of what they're actually paying for items?
forget me
12:56 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Example: this is from another state 1 ramen soup .85.
forget me
1:11 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
One more comment: no names mentioned but recently an impaired driver killed another in a car wreck. So you're telling me the family of this person should be punished with high rates for phone calls. young children who don't have one parent at home anymore has to be punished as well because their family can't afford these calls. these kids had nothing to do with what happened. all i am saying is it's just not black & white. there has to be more flexability.
Christina
9:37 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Who's going to pay the court fees for our poor prisoner?
Phil Lopian
11:54 am on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Legalize Marijuana, tax it, and get this country out of debt ( I do NOT smoke marijuana)
Geoge Zimmerman
2:21 pm on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
P.O.S. should have no rights. Stabbed the girl so many times her face was gone. P.O.S. I say again..
Shannon Loftis
8:03 pm on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Let's just close the commissary! Problem solved!
Honestly, you don't need summer shorts! Don't like the soap? Need hats, gloves, shoes or underwear? Have family bring you some. Don't like the toothpaste, deodorant? Tough shit: don't commit crimes that remove your privilege to go to Wal-Mart and buy your choice of brands and flavors and scents. Prison isn't a free market, asshole. It's punishment. You say you're on lockdown 23 hours a day? Why the hell do you need sunblock? Ask the nurse for aspirin. And for writing and correspondence material? Are you kidding? Who are you writing to? Why don't you ask THEM to bring you a fan!? Amazing.
According to some studies, as much as 64% of parolees re-offend within the first two years after release. Since you can't be a productive member of society who will pay into the tax pool, to offset the amount it costs to feed, house, medically treat and maybe even educate you, I deserve a return on my investment. If I have to pay taxes to give you three hots and a cot, jerk, yeah, you should pay a little extra, too.
Be grateful we don't live in an eye-for-an-eye society anymore.
Renata Williams
8:27 pm on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Ahahaha! Why do they need sunscreen. Touche'
Danielle
6:15 am on Friday, December 14, 2012
He was 25 when he did this. He will be 67 years old when he is eligible for parole. He as sentenced to 80 years for Jolene and 40 for Mark. He gets to serve both together. At the time of his sentencing they had 1 day off for everyday you serve without trouble. So, hmm ...what will he do when he is 67 and free????
Danielle
6:36 am on Friday, December 14, 2012
Amen!
Daivd Henney
2:47 pm on Thursday, December 13, 2012
Kill this idiot. Glad they got rid of the death penalty. Look at him smile. Think the girl he killed was LaRocco, wonder how many times her family has had that smile since the day she was taken...
Danielle
6:12 am on Friday, December 14, 2012
Yes Dave... Jolene LaRocca.. thank you. It's HER smile that I miss.. oh his??? He had that same smile on his face when I had to stand before the judge and tell him how what this animal did impacted my life. I turn around to walk to my seat and I will NEVER forget, this smile on his face and shaking his head as if to say: what a joke. No, that is imprinted on my forever.
Ann Popp
8:59 am on Friday, December 14, 2012
As Jolene's sister I can tell you that I am outraged! Are you kidding me!! This person killed my sister, and my brother committed suicide because he couldn't handle her death. Cost of toothpaste, no air conditioning, and want's to be reimbursed for being overcharged! He's in prison not a country club. There are thousands of people in this state that don't have air conditioning or even tooth paste and I don't see these bleeding hearts helping them. The fact that he is paid while in prison is a joke. As far as I am concerned any monies he receives should go directly to my sister's daughter and her children. I am sorry if I sound like I am rambling but you have no idea how angry I am at this moment. The thought that he is whining about such trivial things is just beyond comprehension. He brutally took my sister's life. There is no sympathy here for him!
John
5:31 am on Sunday, December 16, 2012
Give him the option to shop at Jewel without a preferred card. That will get him to shut up about the markup.
And what happened to the chain gangs? They need to drag these inmates out and have them pick up garbage or some other type of beautification. This area would be a lot nicer if they made these inmates clean it up.
Paul Thomas
12:20 pm on Monday, December 17, 2012
I knew Jolene and for those of us that knew her well - We called her Jodie.... Hernandez was always and still is a total piece of S_ _ T!!!! You cant help who you fall in love with and because of that? Jodie sure did pay the ultimate price.. All the Hernandez brothers were pure scum and the Romeoville police had numerous run ins with them back in the day.. They were one of the many trouble makers and street trash that roamed the streets of Romeoville.. I grew up in Romeoville so I know what I speak of.. He and another scum named Dinky Wright tried getting rough with me & my buddy one day at Hampton Park in Romeoville and got what they had coming which was a solid a$$ whooping.. The state should have executed this piece of trash, I would have gladly pulled that lever then stood there to watch him head smolder..
Who cares that he has no air conditioning or that the toothpaste cost more.. Knock his teeth out then he will not need the toothpaste anymore.. I'm mad that he gets to have a fan but yet he complains that he has to pay for it? He mutilated Jodie with a pair of scissors, have any idea how long something like that takes to do with a pair of scissors? Not to mention it's more personal when you stab/mutilate someone because your hands are used repeatedly while committing that act of crime..There is a constant thought of hate going on..
Locked down 23 hrs a day? Boo Hoo!!! Animals like him should be caged 24 hrs a day. Anyone that dont like what I posted? Too bad!
rose
2:41 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Ya I cld say every inmate sld be treated rite...dn't judge no-one til u"judge ur self...