NCJ Number
139614
Journal
Corrections Compendium Volume: 15 Issue: 7 Dated: (September 1990) Pages: 8-17,19
Date Published
1990
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Fourteen U.S. States use inmate labor to build new prisons, according to a new survey by "Corrections Compendium." Paying wages that range from nothing to $3.00 an hour, the savings on construction in some of these States is in the millions, the survey found.
Abstract
All 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons responded to the survey, which was conducted between June and September 1990. Thirty-four of the 52 correctional systems, including those that use inmates to build new institutions, assign inmates to work details to remodel or add to existing facilities; and 18, including both Federal systems, do not use inmate labor on construction projects. Inmates used for construction may work as unskilled, semi-skilled, or skilled craftsmen in most systems. In Nebraska, Oregon, and West Virginia, only unskilled labor is used; and in Georgia, only skilled craftsmen are used. Delaware and Wyoming are the only States that use inmates as building supervisors. The custody level of inmates allowed to work in construction is most apt to be minimum or trusty, medium, or community; four States also use workers from maximum security facilities. Most States provide some form of training for the jobs, but some inmates already have the required skills. Jobs performed by inmates include carpentry, plumbing, electrical, bricklaying, cement work, and drafting. Thirty-three of the 52 systems reported no change in State or Federal statutes as required to use inmate labor. All of the systems that use inmates on construction projects found the practice to be satisfactory. A chart presents survey findings for each of the responding systems.