Ohio Prison Industry Cranks Out Crappy Toilet Paper by David M. ReutterThe foray by Ohio Penal Industries (OPI), a branch of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, into manufacturing toilet paper has turned out to be a crappy deal for taxpayers.OPI creates a wide variety of products at 24 manufacturing sites in 16 prisons. The agency’s 1,400 prisoner workers and 120 civilian employees produce license plates, clothes, soap, eyeglasses, flags, office furniture, dentures, brooms, outdoor furnishings and more.OPI has a guaranteed clientele. “State law requires that state agencies purchase through OPI if OPI can meet the state agency need,” says Ohio’s purchasing handbook. “In the event of an emergency or a special need, OPI may grant a waiver to the agency to purchase items elsewhere.”Between its state agencies and prisons, Ohio purchases $1.4 million worth of toilet paper annually. OPI bought a $600,000 machine that cuts bulk toilet paper and installed it at the Belmont Correctional Institution.

Eighteen prisoners are employed in the program, which had net income of over $487,000 as of March 2011.“OPI got into the toilet paper business about two years ago. We thought we could manufacture toilet paper and sell it to institutions at a lower price than they could buy it from suppliers,” said Drew Hildebrand, OPI assistant chief. That plan has not worked out.Joshen Paper & Packaging Co. of Cleveland has a contract with Ohio’s Department of Administrative Services. The state can purchase a case of 96 rolls of toilet paper from Joshen for $41.33 a case. By contrast, OPI sells the same product for $48.96 – an 18 percent increase. When OPI entered the toilet paper market, Joshen saw its sales to the state plummet to less than $100,000 annually while taxpayers paid the increased cost of the prison-made toilet paper.Buying trash bags from OPI rather than private vendors was another bad deal. Private vendors contracted to sell 33-gallon trash bags in quantities of 250 to the state for $7.30.

OPI sells a similar product for $13.39.State officials say their hands are tied at trying to save taxpayer money. “We’re following the law as the legislature dictates to us. We really don’t have a choice in the matter,” said Administrative Services spokesman Pieter Wykoff. Tiffany Blue Chair Covers For SaleOPI’s sales have grown to $26 million annually. Does Bestbuy Sell Computer Cases In StoreThe agency’s labor costs are minimal, as entry-level prisoner laborers are paid only 21 cents an hour. Curtains Basement Windows IdeasEven the skilled positions, such as mechanics who work on state vehicles, receive well below minimum wage at $1.23 an hour. Hildebrand said that OPI saves money in other ways than producing cheaper products.

“We’re pulling inmates out of the dorms and providing them with meaningful industrial training,” he noted. “Sometimes, it may not look like OPI is doing what’s best for all agencies, but anytime we can provide training, it’s a plus.”OPI recently added a project to refurbish trash dumpsters, and the agency plans to do business with halfway houses, community colleges and county jails. Statistics indicate that prisoners who work for OPI have lower recidivism rates. “I don’t know if we’re saving money in the long run, but there’s also the practical application of training the inmates to do something productive when they get out, so they don’t come back to prison and cost taxpayers more,” said Wykoff. Whether such training translates to jobs in the freeworld remains doubtful, however, when prison industry programs usurp jobs from companies that otherwise might hire ex-prisoners with job skills – such as manufacturing toilet paper. , Correctional Institution Inspection Committee Report for Belmont Correctional Institution (May 2-3, 2011)

Main content of this page Anchor links to the different areas of information in this page: Main content of this page Additional informationen and functions Page functions (print, send page, etc.) You are here: drupa 2020. Select all on this page Save all selected exhibitors in your personal trade fair organizer Save all selected exhibitors in your personal trade fair organizer 36 Double Rolls = 72 Regular Rolls264 sheets per roll More about this item... An ideal balance of softness & strength. It has 60% more sheets per roll than the Charmin Ultra Strong making it a smart choice for your family and budget. All the softness you want, all the strength you need at a value you love. Angel Soft Toilet Paper, 36 Double Rolls, Bath Tissue: 36 Double Rolls = 72 Regular Rolls 264 sheets per roll 2-ply Flushable, septic-safe Unscented rolls Specifications Condition: New Count: 32-Count Scent: Unscented Model: 773665 Brand: Angel Soft Assembled Product Dimensions (L x W x H): 16.88 x 13.25 x 12.00 Inches

Household Essentials Household Essentials Paper & Plastic Household Essentials Paper & Plastic Toilet Paper Age 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65 and older Gender Male Female When I first starting using this about a yr. ago it was very good product at a good price. My recent purchase less than a month ago is absolutely terrible! The 36 pkg. usually lasts about 6-7 wks. The recent pkg. has lasted only about 4 wks. The cardboard rolls the paper is on is now made larger than before to give the appearance of the same amount of paper. It used to be a lot of soft paper for a very lower price than most other brands, but now the paper is very thin and scratchy and doesn't last long at all. Our family of three people are going through a roll every two days! In fact I'm considering boycotting all of Georgia-Pacific's products. They are producing what used to be a very quality product for a (sort of# reasonable price #all toilet paper is riduculously expensive now) and turned it into a cheap, low quality product for the same price.

I will never buy this paper again. Yes () No (3)  Report Yes () No (3) I used to love this toilet paper, it was our favorite brand and only kind I would buy for my household. Now I am looking for a new brand as the last batch I bought was horrible. I came back and looked to see if Angel Soft had made a new product and I had accidentally bought that kind... I was secretly hoping this was the case, but NO, there is one kind of Angel Soft. The "new" way they did this toilet paper is so disappointing, it is rough... it is like sand paper and you should not be using sand paper in sensitive areas. It is also very thin, I actually had one roll where 12 the roll was only 1 ply! The rolls that are "2 ply" feel much like 1 ply, you can see through them... so disappointed! Yes (0) No (0)  Report Yes (0) No (0) Verified purchaser Who needs expensive toilet paper? This brand is right in the middle. Not too thin not, too thick and the price is just right. Yes (0) No (0)  Report Yes (0) No (0) Verified purchaser Verified purchaser Great product.