Commissary fattens inmates, jail's coffers

The Pima County Adult Detention Center is apparently not the place to be if you want to lose weight.

Just ask murder suspect Dr. Bradley Schwartz.

Those items are just a few of the purchases Schwartz has made in his 13 months as a guest of Pima County's jail.

Not only are inmates provided three 1,200-calorie meals a day, if they are lucky enough to have money, they can purchase up to $100 a week in snacks, hygiene products and undergarments.

Just last week, Jennett Gonsalves sold 26,000 commissary items to inmates who are either awaiting trial or are already serving time.

For the last 13 years, Gonsalves has been the jail's food service, supplies and commissary manager.

She's the one who wheels and deals with vendors, keeps track of the commissary's inventory and decides which items might sell the best.

"If I can make a buck, I'll make a buck and if I can save taxpayer dollars, I'll save taxpayers dollars," Gonsalves said.

Schwartz, who is accused of hiring a hit man to kill his former medical partner, Dr. David Brian Stidham, has spent far more money than most inmates — approximately $1,800 so far. But he has much in common with the other inmates, Gonsalves said.

"They love the junk food," Gonsalves said. "They all gain weight."

The shirts Schwartz has bought since becoming an inmate have ranged in size from medium to triple X.

Pima County records show the commissary sells more nacho-flavored Doritos than anything else. Also high on the list are lunch soups, which come in a variety of flavors, such as chicken, shrimp, Cajun shrimp and Texas beef.

Inmates are provided coffeepots in which they can heat water, Gonsalves said.

Schwartz, who regularly receives money from his parents, is apparently a fan of the Cajun chicken soup. He has bought 282 packages, or $254 worth.

By contrast, Schwartz's co-defendant, Ronald Bruce Bigger, has only spent $500 over the last 13 months. He's purchased 20 three-ounce bags of coffee at a total cost of $70, two dozen Texas beef soup packages for $21.60 and 11 packages of saltines for $20.90.

The way it works is this: Once an inmate is booked into jail, a cash account is set up for him or her on the jail's computer system, said Sheriff's Department Capt. Greg Gearhart.

Any money the defendant may have on him at the time of his arrest is put into the account and then, whenever family members or friends have some extra funds, they can add to the account, Gearhart said.

Once a week, those inmates with money "on the books" can select up to $100 worth of items off a shopping list, Gonsalves said. The inmates get their groceries the following morning and store them in lockers.

Indigent inmates are provided underwear and T-shirts and all inmates are provided hygiene products, but both groups can buy higher-quality products if they have money in their accounts, Gearhart said.

Inmates who aren't indigent must buy their undergarments from the commissary, thus explaining why boxer shorts and T-shirts are among the top sellers.

Inmates send their clothes out to be laundered once a week and get them back within an hour, Gonsalves said.

In fiscal year 2004-05, the jail commissary sold $1,227,461 worth of items and cleared $321,734 after paying for personnel and the cost of the items themselves, Pima County records show.

On an average day there are 1,959 inmates at the jail.

Sentenced inmates also have access to vending machines, which sell soda pop among other things, Gonsalves said. In 2004-05, the vending machines brought in an additional $93,000.

The vending-machine money, the net proceeds from the commissary and all of the money made from inmate telephone calls — which was $587,000 last year — go into an inmate welfare account, Gearhart said.

"That account is used to purchase equipment and supplies that directly add to the safety and welfare of inmates," Gearhart said. "An example is all of the computer equipment purchased for our GED Adult Literacy classes, along with the teacher's salary."

The account also pays for the jail's television sets, the cable TV bill and counseling programs, Gonsalves said.

Gonsalves said she loves the summertime.

"We make more money in the summer because of the higher population," Gonsalves said.

● Top sellers at the Pima County Adult Detention Center:

Nacho-style Doritos $1.25

Boxer shorts $2.50

T-shirts $3.75 - $5

Soap $1 - $1.50

3 oz. bags of coffee $3.50

Lunch soup 90 cents