Wash. prisons save on shorter socks, juice boxes

[December 11, 2010]  OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -- With Washington state agencies looking for ways to save money, the Corrections Department says it's economizing by recycling inmate uniforms, switching to juice boxes and providing shorter socks.

The agency says it expects to save $120,000 each year by replacing self-serve cafeteria juice fountains with juice boxes.

Shorter socks? That's another $22,000 annual savings.

A spokesman says clothing will also be used more, but it's unclear how much that will save.

Another money saver: reducing the number of trash can liners purchased annually by 40 percent, which will save an estimated $220,000 a year.

Larger cost reductions include the closing of two minimum-security prisons and the planned closure of another operation next year.

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Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com/

[Associated Press]

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