If you are unaware, there are jobs available in prison are generally in short supply, especially on certain yards. Even if you are lucky enough to land one, you only make between 15 and 30 cents an hour. That doesn’t go very far toward buying decent shampoo, lotion if your skin is dry and flaky or a can of tuna to supplement the less than tasty cafeteria food. So, the women come up with creative ways to earn a little extra cash. Doing laundry is a popular one but it’s also very time consuming since it has to be done the old-fashioned way (see the previous blog post from September 1st It’s The Little Things). Laundry services run around $3 a pop. Then there are women who scrub our white tennis shoes (the only color available by the way) using a toothbrush and a denture tab so they look brand new, a constant necessity since we live in the desert, and have to walk through brown dirt and dust every day. The charge for that is usually about $2.00. Or you can pay a ‘housekeeper’ to come and clean your cell every day, every other day or just on weekends. This service includes wiping down all the shelves, scrubbing the sink and floors and emptying the trash. But don’t let the cops catch you- it’s a ticket if you are found in someone else’s cell, even with their permission!
There are some who cut and style hair, mend torn clothes, and on an even more creative level, I know a woman who sketches gorgeous portraits-she can really draw just about anything and is amazingly talented. She charges between $5 and $10 for each one, and they make a great gift for someone since we can’t exactly snap a selfie and text it!
Obviously, there is no tangible currency to pay for anything of these things so the ‘customer’ usually orders the person providing the service something they want of comparable value from the store. The barter system at it’s finest!
