This is an email I received yesterday from Lois Ahrens, executive director of the Real Cost of Prisons Project and I decided to post it here because it really is disturbing. It was tited: “Cost for STAFFING ONLY for MA jails. Our tax dollars at work.” Her information is based on what she received from the Bristol County for Correctional Justice (bristol.county.justice@gmail.com) on April 14, 2018. I’ve included the chart she sent as well. Oh, Massachusetts…

“More than half a billion for jails and $640 million for state prisons. Only about 2% of the governor’s $640 million Department of Corrections budget is earmarked for programs for incarcerated people.

Here in Massachusetts we spend HALF A BILLION dollars on just the jailers for our county jails. There are 6,629 men and women who put handcuffs on another 11,480 men and women in 14 county facilities and leave education and rehabilitation to others. There are very close to 2 prisoners for each staff person — or 6 per shift —. The table below does not represent all the costs of running a prison — technology, infrastructure, vehicles, power, maintenance, food, medical, education, or rehabilitation — much of it outsourced.”