My husband is in a private prison in Big Spring Texas. Recently he is in SHU because they are saying that he has too many commissary items. (He did not have more than the limit of what was in the handbook for his prison). Now they are not allowing him to file a complaint, or grievence of any sort. I am trying to figure out what I can do on my end to let the feds know what is going on in these private prisons. I have wrote to the BOP as well as department of justice, but wondering what else I can do from out here to help? Does this sound ridiculous a guy who does not fight, does not get in to any problems, and to take him to SHU just because of too many food items? Thanks

Yes, this is a common sign of an inmate that is either operating a "store" or an inmate that is invloved in gambling or smuggling of contraband. Inmates use commissary items as a form of payment for services and other things that go on inside. The reason he is in the SHU is that another inmate, probably one that owes him money, has dropped a ticket on him. The COs then did a shake down but were focused mainly on his locker. If he is found to be in possession of more than the items allowed on the commissary list, he is suspected of what we outlined in the opening sentence. The inmates know that the commissary list have a series of numbers in parenthesis next to an item for purchase that denotes how many tuna, how many mackerel, etc, an inmate may buy. If his commissary receipts show he bought ten tunas and he has one hundred, he is going to the SHU for investigation. If we are right, spending any time trying to get the BOP's attention is going to be a huge waste of time.