Put Prisoners To Work Case Study

Governor Wilma James’ state is facing severe budget cuts due to economic struggles and drops in tax revenues. The Department of Revenue had informed the governor that she must find ways to reduce the budget by $6 billion. There are several areas which the governor acknowledged as fixed and cannot be touched such as, health care and pension payments. Several proposals were brought to the governor’s attention and the one that stands out the most were the prison system. After conversing with the correctional commissioner, the governor decided to order an early release of inmates whose been charged with drug related crimes. Governor James believes that her action will reduce the state’s budget immensely; however, another problem that may transpire, is the rise of drug related criminal activities occurring all across the state. This essay will briefly highlight the contexts of prison labor and work release programs, and how it would be a better alternative as compared to the early releasing of felons incarcerated for drug related crimes.

After all, there are work programs in select prisons that afford inmates that are medically able, to work for wages between twelve cents and forty cents an hour depending on the job. Work assignments may include painting, plumbing, landscaping or food service (Federal Bureau of Prisons, n.d.). Three meals a day and shelter are provided to every prisoner. Additionally, they are afforded full medical care, mental health care and substance abuse treatment as needed. Inmates also have the option to complete General Education Development (GED) certificates (Federal Bureau of Prisons, n.d.). There are several vocational training programs and on-the-job training opportunities based on the needs of the labor market. Most impressive however, is that some prisons even offer traditional college courses to inmates. These college course must however, be funded by the inmate (Federal Bureau of Prisons,

Cities with higher incarceration rates had increased socio-economic instability. Some neighborhoods decreased in population so severely that they became non-existent due to the mass incarceration rate. Because the government allowed the inmates to work for private industry for a fraction of what the standard wage was at the time, many free-laborers had difficulty finding gainful employment and had lost their ability to use collective bargaining. The free-labor loss of jobs associated with hiring inmates also increased poverty in urban areas which in turn increased crimes of

Many people living in poor neighborhoods might have been to prison, have had little to no education, or even health problems. There are over six million ex-convicts in the United States. Research proposes that the best way for them to stay out of prison again is to reintroduce them into the working world and finding them jobs, but most employers are hesitant in giving them a chance. With an unemployment rate approaching its highest, getting employed is challenging. If someone has been in prison, the chance of them getting a job decreases drastically. In chapter five of David K. Shipler’s The Working Poor: Invisible in America, Shipler emphasizes on attaining a job, maintaining a job, and living while employed to successfully construct his arguments

Demarco Young filed a lawsuit in August 2015 challenging the state’s use and requirement of penal labor in prison. Young was convicted for domestic abuse and assault in Monroe, Louisiana and was sentenced to eight years in the Louisiana State Prison with parole. Young was in great physical shape, his only health issue was high cholestrol. Young was required to fulfill penal labor in prison and was sent to Microsoft’s storage facility to work. At this facility, Young was instructed to move the heavy computer parts into the storage crates and carry them to the trucks for travel. After one month of performing well he began to feel unnatural back pains, and after another two months he threw his back out while attempting to carry one of the crates. Young was diagnosed with chronic lower back pain and after that event Young was unable to bend over and lift anything heavier than a few books. Young then sued the state of Louisiana saying they violated his 8th amendment which resulted in his new health problems and ruined his future once he’s released from prison.

Even though people used work programs in the past for personal profit and prison labor has been compared to slavery the programs are successful. Corrupt people are removed from their positions with their exposure by outside organizations. Watchdog groups are necessary for any industry, including the prison work force, and are welcomed. As with any organization, there will always be some bad apples. In American prisons workers are paid for work performed. Presently 80,000 inmates are employed manufacturing blue jeans, auto parts, electronics, furniture, handling reservations, telemarketing, data entry, record keeping, desk top publishing, digital mapping, computer-aided design work, auto repairs and, are paid at a rate of $.21 to $.50 an hour (Whyte).

The Prison Industrial Complex is a system that is designed to make the maximum profit from inmates. It takes advantage of the individuals who are placed in this system and make it difficult to escape from it. The The Prison Industrial Complex system has been able to this with the use of prisons, industry, and the justice system. Living in prison is far easier than living as a free individual. While one is in prison the costs of food, clothes, and health are all covered by the prison itself.

A second key argument advanced for the abolition of prisons is the failure to rehabilitate with imprisonment. Rehabilitation is supposed to permit the individual to be restored to a law-abiding citizen, contributing to society. However, abolitionists argue that prisons do not permit this. First, schooling and work within prisons is supposed to allow individuals to become productive citizens in society. However, “In many prisons, especially the old ones, the work which is offered is to a large extent meaningless (placing advertisement material in envelopes, folding tobacco packets), or simply non-existent”. (Mathiesen, 2008, p. 34). This work experience is therefore without benefit to the prisoner upon his release.

The Prison Industrial Complex has created a system of force free labor that strips prisoners of their political, economic, and social rights, ultimately relegating them to second-class citizenship, inside and outside of the prison walls. Denying former enslaved people citizenship was essential to the formation of the original union and hundreds of years later, America remains a nonegalitarian society. Not only are those incarcerated barred from suffrage, as throughout much of US history for African Americans, but they also endure legalized discrimination in housing, education, public welfare and employment. Though there has been a change in language and people are no longer explicitly discriminatory or prejudiced based on race, they remain so on criminality and income, both significant indicators of race in this country. This is most evident once persons are released from prison. Not only can they be returned to prison for the most minor infractions, like missing a parole meeting or associating with the wrong crowd, but they also face great adversity when trying to get back into the workforce or readjust to normal life. It is no secret that having a history of incarceration impedes future economic success, and Pew data finds that incarceration reduced subsequent wages by eleven percent, cut annual employment by nine weeks, and reduced yearly earnings by forty percent (Khalek, 2001). This all in addition to the psychological harm and the damage to family home units prisons

The debate over prison labor has existed as long as the concept it’s self. Opponents claim that it exploits prisoners, takes away jobs from the general population, and puts people in danger by allowing convicts access to their personal information. While supporters of prison labor argue that it helps the economy as well as benefits prisoners. On this issue I stand on the side of the supporters. By having prisoners work we are accomplishing several beneficial things. First, work keeps them occupied and out of trouble, instead of getting into confrontations with other inmates, they are actually doing something productive. Second, by working they are alleviating some of the high costs of keeping them

Prisons depend on this income. Corporate stockholders who make money off prisoners' work lobby for longer sentences, in order to expand their workforce. The system feeds itself." (qtd. in Pelaez). There is also the issue on how the prison work programs have stolen employment from outside workers, as well as holding down wages for low-paying jobs. (Leonhardt)

Employment is always an issue when it comes to an ex-offender. Not only is it hard for the everyday person in society to find employment due to a poor economy, but it is much harder for an ex-offender. While in prison, prisoners are usually made to work. Unlike other programs such as counseling, prison work programs can be justified for reasons other than rehabilitation of the individual offender. From the perspective of the policy maker in the criminal justice system, they can help manage the population by occupying the time of the prisoners, aid in the operation of the prison, create revenue (maybe), and provide a

The United States of America has more people incarcerated than any other country on earth, a whopping 2,220,300 adults are currently locked behind bars. We have 500,000 more citizens locked up than China, a country 5 times our population run by an authoritarian government. From 1990 - 2000 the prison population increased by 1,000,000. The main reason for incarceration as a punishment in this country is rehabilitation, or so we have been told. In recent years an industry has developed that revolves around high incarceration rates and lengthy sentences, needless to say business is booming. The for-profit prison industry now makes millions off the backs of American inmates their families and every American taxpayer. The two largest

I think that any worker working in any fill, not only in the criminal justice system should be allowed to influence their own beliefs on job performance. The jail worker‘s believes are not an excuse not to provide a victim of rape with all available medications and sources. What about if these workers working in the hospital are she still will refused medication? We leave in country where the first Amendment gives us right of impeding the free exercise of religion, so that mean you have the right to believe in anything, but do not take my right also to believe in anything. So I believe people working in the social fill like teachers, police officers, politicians, doctors and lawyers cannot have their personal believes to impact their job duty.

That is why I have decided to give my support to help fund numerous policies that could help not only with the overcrowding issue, but could also help get these individuals the appropriate assistance they need in order for them to get back on their feet. Public policies are the perfect solution. If we could create different policies to help not only inmates, but law enforcement as well then we could reduce a lot of the issues that surround prison facilities. For instance, in the article “Incarceration Nation,” Lorna Collier discusses the Recidivism Reduction and Public Safety Act which would allow inmates to reduce their sentences by participating in a drug treatment and job training sessions (62). This policy alone could help with not only the overcrowding issue by giving inmates a lesser sentence, but it could also help these inmates in the future when they are let out. The drug treatment class would assist drug addicts in trying to better themselves and hopefully stop them from using drugs later on in life preventing repeat offences. This would not only save a lot of income that comes from tax payer’s money that goes to the prison system to incarcerate that individual, but it will also help that individual to get an opportunity at a career. The job training would be substantially beneficial for the inmates to be a part of because it could train them and give them a larger opportunity of getting a legitimate, stable, income for their family. However, this is merely one policy, and look at the effects that it can have on