A new commissary policy has just been announced here, via this memo (it is not printable so I had to type it word for word):
During recent sanitation inspections of the housing units, it has come to my attention that there are excessive amounts of personal property, institutional property, nuisance contraband and other items located within cells.
Thus, effective May 5, 2025, FCI Waseca’s commissary spending limit will change from $180 to $150 per validation period, changing the monthly spending limit from $360 to $300. Along with this change, the weekly limit on the quantities of items per category per sale will decrease, as outlined below:
-The miscellaneous food category limit will be reduced from two of each item to one.
-The meat category limit will change from five of each kind to five total items.
-The drink/miscellaneous category will be reduced from three of each to five total. You may only buy three of a particular item for a combination of five total items.
– The candy category is reduced to five total.
– The cheese category is reduced from five each to a limit of five total.
– The chip category limit is reduced from one of each brand to two items total.
– The noodles limit will be reduced from seven to five total, including Thai noodles.
They are punishing us all, due to problems caused by a few! And these limits are ridiculous. For example, if I were to purchase one pack of flour tortillas, I cannot purchase white rice, cheese rice, potato, brown rice refried beans or corn tortillas. What do we put in our tortillas, if not rice and beans? This also makes it very hard to get enough protein.
We just came off a two-and-a-half-week lockdown (which came right after a commissary inventory), so we have not been able to shop for our needed items for weeks. And now we have to eat flour tortillas with candy bars inside??? Waseca continues to think that they can do what they want and not adhere to policy. Policy exists for this reason, so that rogue institutions cannot do things that are unjust just because they want.
Another issue is sanitation. We are being punished collectively for people who are untidy. The individuals responsible have not been issued incident reports; it seems it is easier for administration to send a memo, rather that deal with the specific problems head on.