Prison Industry Enhancement certification program (PIE for short)

http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20090104/OPINION04/901030363

January 4:

Send "roses" to the inmates in Texas prisons who pay taxes, child support, court costs, room and board and even donates to the Texas Crime Victim's fund. These inmates are employed by free world companies under the Prison Industry Enhancement certification program (PIE for short) which was enacted by the legislature through the Texas Government Code and certified by the Federal government.

Inmates paying for their own incarceration and supporting their children and the crime victims fund is a good thing, right?

"Raves" to Direct Trailer and Equipment Company (DTEC) who is willing to employ inmates by taking advantage of the PIE program, although sometimes it is detrimental to production. Unit lockdowns, "racking" inmates for count and bad weather are just some of the things that stop production and cost DTEC money. Due to certain circumstances this company, and others, may not be allowed to conduct business in Texas prisons any longer.

"Rants" to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), state Sen. Kevin Eltife, Rep. Robert Nichols, Lufkin Industries Subsidiary Lufkin Trailer and the Texas Board of Criminal Justice.
Lufkin Industries has complained (again) that DTEC has made them close Lufkin Trailer thereby the TWC has issued a letter - no facts or statistics - stating that DTEC is taking free world jobs and giving them to inmates.

Sen. Eltife and Rep. Nichols brought the letter to the Texas Board of Criminal Justice (TBCJ) and requested they not renew the contract with DTEC, which the TBCJ, violating Texas' opening meeting policy has done.

Now DTEC, who has been in the process of opening a facility in the prison in Mississippi, will transfer the jobs from Texas inmates to Mississippi inmates.

The actions of these "politicians" is not creating jobs for people in the free world, but taking jobs from Texas inmates because a company in our free enterprise system complained and want someone else to blame for their failure.

DTEC has offered to have its contract modified so that the facility in Tennessee Colony will not build trailers and do government contract work, like the federal prison does. Either way if these politicians get their way free world Texans will go back to supporting these inmates and their families by paying for their room and board and child support.

Robert ConwayTennessee Colony