Lists of prison-made articles; requisitions from counties, municipalities and public institutions

Section 57. Annually in January the commissioner shall send to the comptroller, to the auditing and disbursing officers of the several counties, and to the auditor and treasurer of each city and town a list of the articles and materials that can be produced by the labor of prisoners for the use of offices, departments and institutions of the commonwealth and of the counties, cities and towns. The requisitions hereinafter provided for shall conform to said list unless it appears that special style, design or quality is needed and shall be on forms provided by the commissioner. The state purchasing agent or the purchasing agent of a city or town shall make requisition therefor to the commissioner; provided, that in the case of articles or materials needed by a state office, department or institution and not required to be purchased by the state purchasing agent, or needed by a county, or by a city or town not having a purchasing agent, the requisition shall be made by the officer in charge of the state, county, city or town office, department or institution in which such articles or materials are needed. The commissioner shall forthwith inform said state, city or town purchasing agent or other officer in what institutions they are produced, and he shall purchase them from any institution so designated. If they are needed immediately and are not on hand, the commissioner shall forthwith so notify him, and he may purchase them elsewhere. No bill for any such articles or materials purchased for the use of said offices, departments or institutions, otherwise than from a prison or from another penal institution, shall be allowed or paid unless it is accompanied by a certificate from the commissioner showing that a requisition therefor has been made and that the goods cannot be supplied from the prisons. Provisions of any city charter contrary to this section shall be void.