The check-out cashier at your local supermarket (or Wal-Mart which we all should boycott) struggles to earn pennies. If, instead, she was employed by the Pennsylvania Department of Imprisonment she'd rake in a tidy bundle. Would you believe $60,000 a year! We've acquired a list of what the Pennsylvania prison check-out cashiers get paid. It's astonishing! Each state prison operates a commissary. Occasionally a prisoner is allowed to visit the commissary to buy necessities; food, personal grooming products, soap, things like that. State employees hand out the items that the prisoner orders. The staff has only to scan the barcodes. All the actual physical work is performed by prisoner slave labor. The check-out clerk doesn't handle cash or checks or coupons. She doesn't have to make change or weigh produce or even bag the purchases. This state drone has only to scan barcodes and collect a plump state paycheck from the taxpayers. One commissary was so extremely bad that there was very little for prisoners to buy. The "manager" was surly, combative and unwilling even to talk civilly or make any improvements. Finally a prisoner sued trying to get more uniformity in the commissary system. As part of that suit the prisoner acquired the list of what the commissary staff was paid. I'm reproducing part of the list below. It's from back in 2004 so pays are considerably higher now and there may be some slight inaccuracies. The 77 state employees cost the taxpayers a total of $3,640,090.00. That's an average of $47,274. apiece! Remember that this is for whisking a barcode over a scanner! Back in 2004 each of these drones cost the taxpayers $9,412 just for health benefits. The free college education for employees and their children isn't even included in the total. What Prison Check-Out Girls Are Paid Prison Position Base Pay Total With Benefits Albion Manager Clerk Clerk Clerk $42,495 34,572 31,778 33,685 $57,095 48,655 45,520 47,660 Cambridge Springs Manager Clerk 39,901 33,042 54,185 46,938 Camp Hill Manager Clerk Clerk Clerk Clerk Clerk 43,693 38,187 38,187 24,172 24,172 24,172 58,439 52,712 52,712 36,985 36,985 36,985 Coal Township Manager Clerk Clerk Clerk 42,102 36,812 31,290 25,303 56,654 51,168 44,972 38,254 Cresson Manager Clerk 29,288 34,395 42,276 48,456 Dallas Manager Clerk Clerk Clerk 42,908 25,303 25,303 25,303 57,559 38,254 38,254 38,254 Frackville Manager Clerk 45,263 30,071 60,201 43,604 Graterford Manager Clerk Clerk Clerk Clerk Clerk Clerk Clerk 30,247 28,091 27,254 31,290 31,778 42,312 34,395 28,097 43,352 41,390 40,444 44,972 45,420 57,340 48,456 41,390 Greene Manager Clerk Clerk Clerk 33,800 31,778 26,478 32,621 47,338 45,520 39,573 46,466 Greensburg Manager Clerk 39,356 31,778 53,573 45,520 Houtzdale Manager Clerk Clerk Clerk 35,499 27,254 30,071 30,071 49,245 40,444 43,605 43,605 Huntingdon Manager Clerk Clerk Clerk Clerk Clerks 44,477 36,457 23,652 23,652 23,652 30,780 59,320 50,770 36,402 36,402 36,402 44,400 Laurel Highlands Manager Clerk 41,318 24,172 55,774 36,985 Mahanoy Manager Clerk Clerk Clerk 42,475 36,457 31,778 26,478 57,095 50,770 45,520 39,573 Mercer Manager Clerk 38,006 31,778 52,058 45,520 Muncy Manager Clerk Clerk 46,439 34,395 31,290 61,521 48,456 44,972 Pittsburgh Manager Clerk Clerk 41,710 29,804 37,832 56,215 43,305 52,313 Retreat Manager Clerk 37,133 36,124 51,079 50,397 Rockview Manager Clerk Clerk Clerk 47,223 36,812 28,918 27,254 62,401 51,168 42,311 40,444 Smithfield Manager Clerk 41,710 29,228 55,215 42,659 Somerset Manager Clerk Clerk Clerk 42,495 36,812 28,097 31,778 57,095 51,168 41,390 45,520 Waymart Manager Clerk 37,133 24,172 51,079 36,985 Waynesburg Clerk 41,004 55,872 TOTALS 77 2,576,090 3,640,090 Fayette Not Listed Pine Grove Not Listed The new racket is a contract with Keefe Group, and out-of- state conglomerate, a division of Centric Group, LLC. The contract has an estimated value of $28,000,000 and Keefe promises to kickback $6,125,000 to the Department of Imprisonment. This is all money from prisoners and their impoverished (mostly minority) families. The kickbacks amount to a fine on each prisoner of about $140. per year. The prisoners get paid 19 cents per hour, about $15 per month. "The greatest type of heroism an individual or a people can attain is being able to face ridicule Miguel de Unamunno, 1913 You are welcome to use or republish any of our material. Please give www.prisoners.com credit as the source. Return to the Glimpse of Prison Life New Menu Return to the Main Menu Go to our site's Search Engine Send us Your Comments or Input.