Inmates to use laptops

Prisoners are an educated lot, some say. And, with what it is costing them, maybe they ought to be.

What are the legal services available to inmates and detainees of the McHenry County Jail? Services inside the jail, I mean.

The U.S. Marshals’ Service Contract Inmates (I suppose these must be the “detainees” in the special wing at the Jail) are required to get five hours of Law Library time apiece. A letter recently provided with a FOIA response did not identify the time period for those five hours, so I’ll assume it’s five hours per month.

Law Libraries need books and resources. One would think that, if a government contract requires a facility to provide a service or a resource, then it would pay for it. And anyone making a deal with the government would certainly require funds to meet the contract.

But how do these resources get paid for at the McHenry County Jail? Apparently, not out of the $90/day raked in from the Feds for each detainee. Instead, the legal services are paid for by the Inmate Profit Account, which collects hefty profits every time an inmate or detainee buys a Phone Card or a candy bar (or other snack food to supplement the meals from the kitchen). That Inmate Profit Account has a $75,000 balance, even though it just forked out over $14,000 in March for three (3) laptops and hard drives.

Three, you say? Nearly $5,000 for a laptop and a hard drive? Well, why not buy the best, when you are flush with cash; right?

I thought maybe the Jail had bought 10-20 laptops for $14,000. I mean, what the heck? I read the Sunday ads. How much power in a computer does an inmate need? When I heard that no laptops were in use in the jail, it was time to ask questions. In the next week or so, they will be put to use.

And what kind of laptops are they? The Panasonic Toughbook 30. I didn’t see any evidence of comparison shopping, just the advisory to buy a computer on the State’s Bid Contract so that no bidding would be involved.

How is the Toughbook 30 described? An online search reveals such words and phrases as “rugged”; “6-foot drop certified”; “the ultimate in durability”; “fully-rugged”; (operational) “in the harshest environments”; “certified sealed all-weather design.”

Look at this description from Google Products: “Out in the field or down in the dirt, the durable Panasonic Toughbook 30 is built to take a beating. This brawny workhorse is encased in magnesium alloy, with durability designed into every seal, hinge and connector. Plus, as the industry's fastest fully rugged mobile PC, it's built for lightening-quick processing and wireless connectivity. Communicate in real time from remote areas, access databases online and run sophisticated software applications even in the harshest environments. The Toughbook 30 is vibration and drop-shock resistant.”

Sounds like an ideal laptop for the mountains of Afghanistan, doesn’t it? You know, bouncing over bone-jarring rocks in a Hummer? It might even survive in the McHenry County Jail!

Be sure to check out the pricing on the Google shopping site, too. From $2,708 to $4,170, with many sellers in the $3,000-3,500 range. So, why pay $13,521 for three ($4,507 ea.)? Plus three hard drives for $717?

When you are spending someone else’s money, why shop???

Oh, yes, then electronic law books will be needed, and they aren’t free. They will run about $9,720/year ($810/month).

Keep eating those candy bars, guys. And don’t forget to buy those $20 Phone Cards.. Half of your $20 goes into the Inmate Profit Account.