INMATE SAYS TAXPAYERS ARE TO BLAME

BOSCOBEL - Regarding Dennis Nagan's May 15 Forum letter: As a
blind-sheep taxpayer, he can only be furious with himself about old
Supermax (now Wisconsin Secure Program Facility), the air
conditioning, recreation yard and the $57,000 per inmate per year. It
was his choice to build this place. Now he must suffer the onus of
that choice.

I wonder if he is aware he also paid our settlement attorney fees of
$75,000? I wonder, too, if he's aware he paid for our $100,000
computer law library? Inmates filed 490 lawsuits last year - about $7
million litigation costs to taxpayers.

The U.S. Supreme Court has stated, "There is no iron curtain between
our prisons and the Constitution." WSPF Warden Gerald Berge attempted
to ban one of our newspapers. We yanked him into Dane County Circuit
Court 100 miles away and got his ban enjoined at a cost of about
$35,000 to taxpayers. Idle inmates will find things to do.

Nagan should contact his legislator about these prison costs. If it
gets too costly for him, we have a couple of open beds.

Bryce Garrett, state prison inmate