WHO'LL GET THE COUNTY JAIL COMMISSARY CONTRACT?

By Juan Montoya
For the past 10 years, the Cameron County jail commissary contract has gone to  Snakre Vending, LLC of Brownsville.
Only within the last two has the county gone out for bids. Before that, it was up to the discretion of the Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio and his staff who decided who got it.
A report by the county auditor indicated that sales to inmates for fiscal year 2009 were $925,512, of which $765,732 were paid to the vendor. The owners of Snakre are attorney Rick Zayas and his partner Ruben Cortez. Both are former Brownsville Independent School District board of trustees.
In 2011, that amount was $781,542.
The sheriff move to put the contract out for bids after the local newspaper disclosed that Cortez was a cousin to Lucio's chief deputy.
Cortez also happens to be the son of Justice of the Peace 2-1 Linda Salazar.
After the bids were considered, Snakre was again awarded the contract.
Fermin Leal, the sheriff's dept. commander in charge of recommending the award, is a longtime employee in the department and works under Lucio and his chief deputy.
For years, the families of inmates have complained that the commissary franchise holder has been "gouging" the prisoners,a veritable captive audience of some 1,200.
Many relatives and inmates say that the contract gives a free hand to the vendor to set prices for the prisoners, who are not allowed to bring in any supplies save prescription medicine, from the outside. A pair of plain white (the only color sold or allowed) boxer shorts will cost $4.50. A set of three shorts at Wal-Mart will cost about the same, or less.
And at wholesale, those same shorts probably cost less than $1.
A thermal top, a critical item inside where temperatures are kept very cold, is listed at $8.30, more than twice or three times the cost at a store on the outside. A woman's plain sport bra (no metal parts) will cost a female inmate $9.00. Panties are $2.70 each. A travel pack of Femtex Tampons cost $3.00
And a serving of Ramen or Maruchan noodles you can buy at HEB or Wal-Mart for 15 to 20 cents go for 65 cents apiece.  A bag of off-brand tortilla chips that would cost less than $2 sells for $3.25.
The gouging doesn't stop there. Snakre sells phone card PIN numbers to the inmates and charges $2 off the top for themselves. Lets' say someone buys $20 in phone privileges for an inmate. Snakre takes $2 off the top and credits the inmate with $18. In Hidalgo County, the county keeps the $2 and it goes to the general fund. How the $2 is split is anyone's guess.
In other words, the commissary contract is a money maker to whoever gets it.
A mandatory pre-proposal meeting will be held Wednesday, Oct. 15 and the the request for proposals is posted on Cameron County’s website.
The proposals are due no later than 11 a.m. Oct. 28.
Any bets that Snakre will get it again for the next two years, the duration of Lucio's current term?