24 Oct Why changes to the laundry?

Laundry detergent has been removed from Commissary to help reinforce a rule that laundry cannot be washed at the housing unit.

This rule is in place for several security reasons.

Conflicts arise because a person or group takes possession of laundry buckets not allowing access to other offenders. Water temperatures are not hot enough to sanitize the laundry and 5-gallon buckets are often unsanitary. 5-gallon buckets intended for laundry are often used to produce homemade alcohol, hide contraband, and have at times been used to flood sections and block security devices. 

Laundry is available to each incarcerated individual for clothing on a weekly basis with two bags provided, both labeled with the individual’s name and number. Laundry is picked up in the morning and delivered on the same day in the afternoon. Because of the increased capacity of the USCF laundry, we are increasing the frequency of sheets and blanket laundry from monthly to weekly. Sheets and blankets will also be picked up in the morning and returned in the afternoon. 

Bags that have not been tied properly can come open spilling the laundry. This has been happening more frequently since moving to USCF because the washing machines spin faster. Open laundry bags are documented, inventoried, and returned with the rest of the laundry. Clothing that comes up missing is most likely being taken from these open bags on the housing units.

Laundry workers are always searched before leaving the laundry area and are not allowed to wear personal clothing while at work. They do not have the opportunity to move clothing from the laundry facility to the housing unit. 

Bags that are tied in an overhand knot on the bag (knot in the mesh bag), then secured with the string tied above the knot will not open up. This system of securing a pin bag has proven to work at Draper and at USCF.

Our Operations Team is working to create a video and training sheet to distribute to housing unit leadership, so they can help offenders secure their laundry bags properly. Laundry will continue to document each item of loose clothing that was returned to the housing unit.