About 160-inmates at Monterey county jail have started a hunger strike, in response to new rules at the facility that limit the number of hygienic items they can buy. Inmates may buy items in the jail with money deposited by family and friends. They include toothpaste, soap, and shampoo. Previously, inmates were allowed to purchase 4-bars per week. The new rules limit the purchase to 1-bar of soap, 1-tube of toothpaste, and 1-bottle of shampoo per week. Officials say they made the change because inmates had been stuffing soap into socks and using them as weapons. The inmates staging the hunger-strike are suspected Norteno gang members.
