- Jul 10, 2006
- 29,873
- 463
- 126
Thought this was appropriate given the discussion on for-profit prisons.
http://www.ien.com/operations/news/20831256/inmateproduced-combat-helmets-found-defective
WTF number one: It's a wholly owned government entity manufacturing the helmets. So why the fuck do we need a for-profit private company to sell the helmets manufactured by the government to the government?
WTF number two: Manufacturing the helmets AND recalling the helmets cost the government "more than $19,083,959". So why the holy flying rat fuck did the government pay a private company $30,336,461.04 for the same damned helmets? Seems like a rather steep markup for selling us what we manufactured.
WTF number three: The FPI facility that manufactured the defective helmets, with improvised tools, attempting to hide the defects, and risking unnecessary death to our servicemen and women, was closed - "and its entire staff transferred to other duties within the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Criminal prosecution resulting from these investigations was declined, and the DOJ Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Section and the Eastern District of Texas, United States Attorney’s Office entered into a civil settlement agreement with ArmorSource in which ArmorSource agreed to pay $3 million." Not only did no one get prosecuted for this, but no one lost their government jobs. The only punishment to anyone was exacting a $3 million payment from the private company. What does it take to actually get fired from a federal government job?
Even if prisoners are working for the federal government, they are ultimately being used to generate profit. In my mind, this is uncomfortably close to slavery or indentured servitude. I would prefer that these prisoners be paid their pittance to manufacture clothing or modular shelter (or deodorant!) to be given away to homeless people. Not only does it seem morally cleaner, it apparently would be cheaper too.
Fair warning, I worked all night and I am probably going to spit and split.
http://www.ien.com/operations/news/20831256/inmateproduced-combat-helmets-found-defective
Here we have a wholly owned government entity set up to exploit prison labor.A wholly-owned government corporation and private manufacturer made over $30 million on helmets before an investigation shut down the facility and fined the company.
The following are excerpts from a report by the Office of the Inspector General. The full report can be found here.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) initiated two joint investigations with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), and supported by elements of the U.S. Army, regarding allegations that the Federal Prison Industries (FPI) and ArmorSource LLC, manufactured and sold Advance Combat Helmets (ACH) and Lightweight Marine Corps. Helmets (LMCH) to the Department of Defense that did not meet contract specifications and were defective.
The FPI is a wholly-owned government corporation established to provide opportunities to federal offenders. It makes products for sale exclusively to the federal government and that do not compete with private sector companies. FPI is required to be financially self-sustaining.
ArmorSource is a private company established in 2005, and its production, marketing, and operational divisions are located in Ohio. In 2006, ArmorSource became an official supplier of the ACH helmet to the DOD. From 2006 to 2009, ArmorSource and the FPI, as subcontractor, produced 126,052 helmets, for which ArmorSource received $30,336,461.04.
The FPI was awarded a contract to manufacture LMCH helmets. The FPI produced approximately 23,000 helmets at its facility in Beaumont, Texas, of which 3,000 were sold and delivered to the DOD. However, the FPI did not receive payment for these 3,000 helmets because more than half of them were subsequently determined to be defective, and all 23,000 helmets were ultimately quarantined.
The investigations further disclosed that the ACH helmets produced by FPI were also defective, and that both the ACH and LMCH helmets posed a potential safety risk to the user. Both investigations determined that FPI had endemic manufacturing problems at FCI Beaumont, and that both the ACH and LMCH were defective and not manufactured in accordance with contract specifications.
The investigations found that the ACH and LMCH had numerous defects, including serious ballistic failures, blisters and improper mounting hold placement and dimensions, as well as helmets being repressed. Helmets were manufactured with degraded or unauthorized ballistic materials, used expired paint and unauthorized manufacturing methods.
The investigations also found that FPI pre-selected helmets for inspection, even though the DOD and ACH contract required helmets to be selected randomly. The investigation also found that manufacturing documents were altered by inmates at the direction of FPI staff that falsely indicated helmets passed inspection and met contract specifications.
The investigation found the following deficiencies:
Finished ACH helmet shells were pried apart and scrap Kevlar and Kevlar dust was added to the ear sections.
- Helmets were repressed to remove blisters and bubbles in violation of contract specifications.
- LMCH and ACH helmets had edging and paint adhesion failure.
A surprise inspection by OIG and military personnel on January 26, 2010 uncovered inmates using improvised tools (see images in gallery), damaging the helmet’s ballistic material.
These investigations did not develop any information to indicate military personnel sustained injury or death as a result of the defective ACH helmets. However, 126,052 ACH helmets were recalled, and monetary losses and costs to the government totaled more than $19,083,959.
The FPI Beaumont facility that manufactured the ACH and LMCH helmets was closed and its entire staff transferred to other duties within the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Criminal prosecution resulting from these investigations was declined, and the DOJ Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Section and the Eastern District of Texas, United States Attorney’s Office entered into a civil settlement agreement with ArmorSource in which ArmorSource agreed to pay $3 million.
WTF number one: It's a wholly owned government entity manufacturing the helmets. So why the fuck do we need a for-profit private company to sell the helmets manufactured by the government to the government?
WTF number two: Manufacturing the helmets AND recalling the helmets cost the government "more than $19,083,959". So why the holy flying rat fuck did the government pay a private company $30,336,461.04 for the same damned helmets? Seems like a rather steep markup for selling us what we manufactured.
WTF number three: The FPI facility that manufactured the defective helmets, with improvised tools, attempting to hide the defects, and risking unnecessary death to our servicemen and women, was closed - "and its entire staff transferred to other duties within the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Criminal prosecution resulting from these investigations was declined, and the DOJ Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Section and the Eastern District of Texas, United States Attorney’s Office entered into a civil settlement agreement with ArmorSource in which ArmorSource agreed to pay $3 million." Not only did no one get prosecuted for this, but no one lost their government jobs. The only punishment to anyone was exacting a $3 million payment from the private company. What does it take to actually get fired from a federal government job?
Even if prisoners are working for the federal government, they are ultimately being used to generate profit. In my mind, this is uncomfortably close to slavery or indentured servitude. I would prefer that these prisoners be paid their pittance to manufacture clothing or modular shelter (or deodorant!) to be given away to homeless people. Not only does it seem morally cleaner, it apparently would be cheaper too.
Fair warning, I worked all night and I am probably going to spit and split.