Inmate electrocuted on work detail

A Texas prison inmate has been electrocuted while performing maintenance work on an underground water main outside the Huntsville Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

[j-lo]

if todd was not an electricion why was he order to do this job handling electical stuff doing i'm not surprise tdcj to use an inmate why wasn't it an employe -guard or why didn't they call an electrcion this is not right.

[Opinion8ed]

I am sure guys inside would prefer to work as opposed to having nothing to do. However, unless they have had additional training inside, that does not mean they should do work they were not qualified to do on the outside. If he was not an electrician why was he assigned this job? If he was water main maintenance, what was an electrical soource doing in that vicinity? Very poor judgment on the part of TDCJ. Texas pays inmates nothing for the work they do, one or two dollars a day is not unreasonable nor is it going to break that bank, it is still tantamount to slave labor and not so long ago the United States was attacking other countries for doing the same thing, mainly China. Authorities are being two-faced in our name. Distressing at the very least, and what about the family who expected their loved one to return home... heartbreaking.

[El Paso Taxpayer]

Shocking...

[cjtexas]

The "Guard" was probably doing his job...Guarding, the inmate can elect not to work.

j-lo wrote:

if todd was not an electricion why was he order to do this job handling electical stuff doing i'm not surprise tdcj to use an inmate why wasn't it an employe -guard or why didn't they call an electrcion this is not right.

[Niner]

Opinion8ed wrote:

I am sure guys inside would prefer to work as opposed to having nothing to do. However, unless they have had additional training inside, that does not mean they should do work they were not qualified to do on the outside. If he was not an electrician why was he assigned this job? If he was water main maintenance, what was an electrical soource doing in that vicinity? Very poor judgment on the part of TDCJ. Texas pays inmates nothing for the work they do, one or two dollars a day is not unreasonable nor is it going to break that bank, it is still tantamount to slave labor and not so long ago the United States was attacking other countries for doing the same thing, mainly China. Authorities are being two-faced in our name. Distressing at the very least, and what about the family who expected their loved one to return home... heartbreaking.

Why the hell should I have to pay tax dollars so an inmate can get paid for doing work while he is in prison? They already get free food, entertainment and education while they are there. Now you want us to pay them for committing a crime? I don't know what your reasoning for this is, but it is crazy to say the least. This is the same mentality as the "No death penalty" preachers. Why would you want to pay a child molester or keep a serial murderer alive? So they can live to rape another child or kill another innocent person. People like you make me sick. String 'em all up by their thieving necks!

[these are people]

Niner wrote:

<quoted text>
Why the hell should I have to pay tax dollars so an inmate can get paid for doing work while he is in prison? They already get free food, entertainment and education while they are there. Now you want us to pay them for committing a crime? I don't know what your reasoning for this is, but it is crazy to say the least. This is the same mentality as the "No death penalty" preachers. Why would you want to pay a child molester or keep a serial murderer alive? So they can live to rape another child or kill another innocent person. People like you make me sick. String 'em all up by their thieving necks!

You need to go under the other site by this same title and read about this man. No he did not rape or intentionally kill. He was there because he was coming home from a Christmas party after having a few drinks and wrecked the car killing his girl friend there with him. Yes, wrong, but how many of you can honestly say you or some member of your family has never gotten behind the wheel after a few drinks. This could be your own family. You think people do not go to prison the first time they get in trouble--think again--it is happening now.

As far as being paid for their work. I have heard they are not paid at all in Texas--but I do not know if that is true. I do know they are paid very little in most states. I know of one place they are paid 60 cents an hour and another place $5.00 for a months work of 20 hours a week. As far as education, some families are paying for correspondance courses so they can get an education so all the luxuries you hear about are just that--what you hear. Not sure what entertainment you have heard they get--sure don't know of that.

[Charletto70]

Not only do these offenders work with correction officers on site but they work under the supervision of trained/licensed supervisors! This tragic ACCIDENT could have happened in the free world.