WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

H 3929

Department of Corrections canteens

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jermaine Johnson and 1 co-sponsor

Authorizes SCDC to operate canteens at all prisons, caps items' prices to 20% above vendor costs, requires insurance, and enforces biennial audits with inmate-accessible reports.

Referred to Committee on Corrections and Penology
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · H 3929

Summary — H 3929: Department of Corrections canteens (South Carolina)

Status: Referred to Committee on Corrections and Penology (introduced early 2025). Effective date: upon approval by the Governor.

Purpose

To authorize the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) to maintain and operate canteens at all active prisons/institutions under its jurisdiction, set limits on pricing, require insurance for canteen property, and establish mandatory auditing and reporting of canteen operations to increase oversight and transparency.

Key provisions (adds S.C. Code § 24-3-990)

  • Authority and operations

    • SCDC “may maintain” a canteen at every active prison/institution for sale to incarcerated persons of toilet articles, candy, notions and other sundries.
    • The department must provide necessary facilities, equipment, personnel, and merchandise.
    • The SCDC director will specify which commodities may be sold.

  • Pricing cap

    • Sale prices shall not exceed a 20% markup above the amount paid to vendors (i.e., vendor invoice cost).

  • Insurance

    • The department must undertake insurance coverage against damage or loss of canteen and handicraft materials, supplies, and equipment owned by the department.

  • Audits and reporting

    • Canteen operations at each facility must be audited biennially by the Legislative Audit Council.
    • In each intervening fiscal year, each prison/institution must prepare a statement of operations.
    • At least one copy of any audit report or statement of operations must be posted at the canteen and at least one copy made available to incarcerated persons in the institution’s library.

Who is affected

  • Incarcerated persons: have authorized access to canteens selling sundry items; will have public access to canteen audit reports/statements.
  • South Carolina Department of Corrections: responsible for operating canteens, specifying sold items, maintaining insurance, preparing annual statements, and complying with audits.
  • Vendors/suppliers: their invoiced costs serve as the baseline for the 20% markup cap.
  • Legislative Audit Council: charged with biennial audits of facility canteen operations.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Transparency: requires publicly posted audit reports and operational statements accessible to inmates, increasing oversight.
  • Consumer protection: the 20% markup cap aims to limit prices charged to incarcerated people.
  • Administrative/fiscal effects: costs may increase for SCDC to provide facilities, staff, insurance, and to support audit/reporting requirements; potential canteen revenues are limited by the markup cap.
  • Implementation details (e.g., what items are authorized, how vendor costs are documented, funding for audits/insurance) would be determined in practice by SCDC and possibly further guidance or appropriations.

Procedural history (as provided)

  • Introduced/read first time: February–March 2025 (various entries).
  • Committee report: Favorable (Judiciary) — 04/30/2025.
  • House actions: Unanimous consent for third reading and Roll Call Yeas 112, Nays 0 on 05/01/2025; read third time and sent to Senate 05/02/2025.
  • Referred: Committee on Corrections and Penology (05/06/2025).
  • Hearings scheduled/rescheduled for 09/17/2025 (in-person and virtual). Note: the provided legislative-action list contains some date/order inconsistencies; consult the official legislative status page for the most current procedural status.

If you’d like, I can:
- Check the current official status on the South Carolina Legislature website (if you permit browsing), or
- Draft a short list of implementation questions for SCDC (budget impact, staffing, vendor reporting requirements, etc.).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.