NCJ Number
60758
Date Published
1979
Length
37 pages
Annotation
THIS VOLUME, ONE OF A SERIES ENTITLED GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE PRISON INDUSTRIES, OUTLINES A COORDINATED APPROACH TO DEVELOPING NEW PRISON INDUSTRIES.
Abstract
THE NEED FOR SUCH AN APPROACH HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED BY THE PRESSURE ON PRISON INDUSTRY PERSONNEL TO EMPLOY INCREASING NUMBERS OF IDLE OFFENDERS IN PRISONS. THE MATERIAL IS DIVIDED INTO TWO CHAPTERS. THE FIRST DESCRIBES A STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS FOR SELECTING NEW PRISON INDUSTRY PRODUCTS. IN SELECTING NEW PRODUCTS, PRISON INDUSTRIES MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THEIR SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES FROM OUTSIDE BUSINESS. SOME OF THESE INCLUDE SECURITY CONCERNS THAT LIMIT WHAT CAN BE DONE IN A PRISON, MARKET CONSTRAINTS THAT LIMIT THE RANGE OF PRISON PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, AND REACTIONS FROM OUTSIDE BUSINESS AND LABOR INTERESTS THAT LIMIT NOT ONLY THE RANGE OF PRODUCTS BUT DEGREE OF COMPETITION PRISON INDUSTRIES CAN PROVIDE. FIVE STEPS TO FOLLOW IN SELECTING NEW PRISON INDUSTRIES ARE DEVELOPING A LIST OF IDEAS FOR NEW INDUSTRIES; SCREENING THESE IDEAS; CONDUCTING A MARKET SURVEY; CONDUCTING A PROFIT ANALYSIS; AND MAKING A DECISION. TWO EXAMPLES OF A PROFIT ANALYSIS ARE GIVEN. A STRAIGHTFORWARD GUIDE TO THESE BASIC STEPS IN MARKET RESEARCH ALSO IS PRESENTED: DATA COLLECTION, DATA ANALYSIS, IDENTIFYING TYPE OF INFORMATION TO COLLECT, DETERMINING WHAT AGENCIES AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE LIKELY TO PURCHASE THE PRODUCT, AND DECIDING WHETHER TO CONDUCT A PRELIMINARY OR INDEPTH MARKET SURVEY. THE VOLUME CONTAINS VARIOUS TECHNICAL DETAILS, AS WELL AS A BRIEF BIBLIOGRAPHY. FOR OTHER VOLUMES IN THIS SERIES SEE NCJ 60756-7, NCJ 60759-62, AND NCJ 87053. (MJW)