Guidelines for Prison Industries

• NCJ Number: 94208
• Author(s): R C Grieser; N Miller; G S Funke
• Date Published: 1984
• Length: 144 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Corrections
• Corporate Author: Institute for Economic and Policy Studies, Inc
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services; National Institute of Corrections
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Limited number of copies available from NIC Information Center.

Annotation

These guidelines report on the current status of prison industries across the Nation, provide the tools to help a State create or modify its authorizing legislation and operational procedures, and assess the implications of court actions and standards pertaining to prison industries' accountability.

Abstract

A state-of-the-art survey of prison industries consisted of telephone interviews with prison industry officials in all 50 states. Tables depict State-by-State responses to the survey in the general areas of organization and scope, personnel, inmate data, fiscal budget information, production/marketing, legal/policy issues, and the future of prison industries. Another section focuses on State laws pertaining to prison industries as they set parameters for organization, operation, inmate compensation, purchasing, and marketing. The relative merits of the statutes are considered, and suggestions are offered on legal and political strategies for using the legislative guidelines. An attachment portrays current prison industries statutes State-by-State. Model policies and procedures, based on materials collected from a number of States, are presented as guidelines for State industry operations. Areas covered include general administration, budget and accounting, recruitment and training of inmate workers, safety programs, wages and reimbursement, inmate supervision, security, and scheduling. The discussion of court actions and standards impacting prison industries is included; a table cross-references both court decisions and standards for each issue. An issues index after the table of contents enables the reader to locate discussion on each issue with respect to the survey findings, legislation, policies and procedures, court actions, and standards. Appendixes contain the survey questionnaire and a State-by-State listing of types of prison industries.