Dear Director Frakes:
I am writing on behalf of the over 300 people, almost all of HU1 at TSCI, who signed the petition # 2019-880. We requested that NDCS incorporate a 25% raise in the daily stipend payed to incarcerated workers into the next biennium budget proposal that will be filed in Sept. 2020.
Both the step one and step two responses were that “it would be out of the Department’s control as to whether or not the legislature would approve of this pay increase” but that does not answer our request that you include it in your next budget. In order for the legislature to even consider the option, you would have to first include it in your budget request. Even the Inspector General of Corrections when asked about increasing the stipend said in a letter dated Jan. 21, 2019 that “this is an issue I have raised in the past and it is dependent on NDCS to request an appropriation from the Legislature to do this.” We are asking you, once again, to include it in the next biennium budget that you will submit in Sept. of 2020.
Here is a summary of why a 25% increase in daily stipends for incarcerated workers is in order. First, there has not been a change to the daily stipend in over 25 years. According to Edward Jasso, Policy and Accreditation Coordinator, the last change to the rates in 113.17 was in Dec. of 1993. Since then the Consumer Price Index has increased by 75% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistic. So while canteen prices have been increasing our daily stipends have not. Addtionally, as of last year OTC medications are no longer available through medical. Instead we have the added expense of purchasing them through canteen out of our daily stipend. A 25% increase is significantly below the CPI increase and may barely cover the additional expense of OTC meds.
Please incorporate a 25% raise in the daily stipend payed to incarcerated workers into the next biennium budget proposal on Sept. 2020.
Thank you for your time and attention,
How unfortunate that almost 3 months have passed and there are no comments to this post. I’m guessing there hasn’t been any follow-up from NDCS either. The request to include the proposed salary increase in the next biennium budget is a simple and logical one that shouldn’t be ignored. Merely considering this ask is the honorable thing to do. Acting upon it is the moral thing to do.
“Nothing happens unless something is moved”. – Albert Einstein
Petition response:
As you were advised in the response to the Step One that in order for the Department to raise stipend pay for inmate porters it would have to incorporate those increase into its budget. The budget would then have to be approved by the legislature and funds would have to be allocated for that purpose. It would be out of the Department’s control as to whether or not the legislature would approve of this pay increase. The next biennium budget proposal will not be filed until September 2020.
Director’s answer:
I am in reciept of your letter dated March 22, 2019 requesting a 25% raise in the daily stipend paid to incarcerated workers into the next biennium budget proposal that will be filed in September 2020.
As indicated in repsonse to the petition filed as a Step II grievance dated February 14, 2019, if NDCS determines a request for the next biennium budget sumission is necessary for inmate stipends, the request ill be submitted at that time.
If any changes to daily stipends are implemented, such will be communicated to the inmate population.