Correctional IndustriesWorking on the Inside –

Succeeding on the Outside

The History of Correctional Industries

• Prison Industry was created during the Industrial Era (1890-1935) stage of prison development in the United States.

• Based on the ideology of strong principles and rehabilitation– Indeterminate Sentencing– Parole– Trade Training– Education– Primary Reformation over Punishment

The History of Correctional Industries con’t

The Six systems of inmate labor used in the twentieth century (1875-1900)

• Contract system – Private business paid to use inmate labor. They provided raw materials and supervised the manufacturing process inside prison facilities.

• Piece-price system – Goods were produced for private businesses under the supervision of prison authorities. Prisons were paid according to the number and quality of the goods manufactured.

• Lease system – Prisoners were taken to work sites under the supervision of armed guards. The private contractor employed them and maintained discipline.

The History of Correctional Industries con’t

The Six systems of inmate labor used in the twentieth century (1875-1900)

• Public-account system – this system eliminated the use of private contractors. Industries were entirely prison owned, and prison authorities managed the manufacturing process. Goods were sold on the free market.

• Public-works system – Prisoners maintained roads and highways, cleaned public parks and recreational facilities. They also maintained and restored public buildings.

• State-use system – Prisoners manufactured only goods that could be used by other state offices, or they provided labor to assist other state agencies.

Today’s RealityPrisons are being built today in the U.S. at a rate

never before seen. We now have more people in prison per capita than any other country in the world.

• Over 2 million people are behind bars.• Cost of incarceration per offender averages $30,000

annually.• Cost to build each cell

averages $60,000.

Today’s Reality con’t

• Approx. 50% of the State (DOC) inmates who will be released this year are likely to recidivate within 3 years.

• Approx. 50% of men and women committed to DOC have not earned a diploma or GED. The avg. reading level at intake is between 6th-8th grade.

• Inmates drop out of public school because they were convicted of a crime, had academic or behavioral problems, or lost interest.

“To put people behind walls and bars and do little or nothing to change them is to win a battle, but lose a war. It is wrong. It is expensive. It is stupid.”

» Former Chief Justice Warren E. Burger (1907-1995)

Consider This. . .Because 95% of offenders incarcerated in correctional facilities will eventually be released and living in our communities, with our families, children, friends and coworkers...

Serves sentence without productive work and job training: Undergoes little change while in prison/jail. Languishes in cell passing idle time. .

THEOFFENDER

Participates inCorrectional Industries:Develops self-esteem, self-worth and job skills throughmeaningful work activities,thereby contributing to successful reentry.

WHICHNEIGHBOR

DO YOUWANT?

2/3 REVERTTO A LIFEOF CRIME

2/3 LAW-ABIDINGCITIZEN

The Purpose of Correctional Industries

Correctional industries represent our one chance to instill responsibility, discipline, and a sense of accomplishment in those who need it most.

The Mission of Correctional Industries

Provide rehabilitative programs providing:

• Specific work programs.

• Structured training and employment.

• Instilling transferable job skills.

• A positive work ethic.

Correctional Industries Represent

• 50 States (includes Federal prison systems and local jail jurisdictions)

• Annual Sales of $2.4 billion• Encompass a total of 97 business units• Employs 91,043 of inmates • Products • Services • Prison Industry Enhancement (PIE) program• Reentry Services

Products

Furniture & Assembly

Garments Upholstery

Printing Metal Products Signs

Mattresses Textile Sewing & Assembly

License Plates Office Panel Systems

Services

Refurbishing

Bindery Laundry

Welding Moving Collating

Contract Labor Data Processing

GIS / CADD Machine Shop Services

Rehabilitation Practices of Correctional Industries

• Application and interview process.

• Accountable for work times, pay grades & levels.

• Merit system of reward and recognition.

• Performance-based training.

• Certification/apprenticeships.

Rehabilitation Practices of Correctional Industries con’t

• Transferable job skills.

• Work ethics.

• Responsibility.

• Social management skills.

• Self-discipline.

The Benefits of Correctional Industries

• An effective management tool for reducing inmate idleness, thus maintaining a safe and secure work environment for both staff and inmates.

• Provides inmate training with less supervision and at a lower cost than alternative programs.

The Benefits of Correctional Industries con’t

• Generate revenue dollars by investing back into the community through the purchase of raw materials, supplies, equipment and services from the private sector.– In fact, several economists believe that the

U.S. economy is strengthened by the participation of all able-bodied citizens, including inmates.

The Benefits of Correctional Industries con’t

• Operate as self-sustaining programs with little or no cost to taxpayers.

• Provide a means for inmates to reimburse some of the costs of their incarceration.

• Lower recidivism rates when compared to the general prison population (DOC).

The Benefits of Correctional Industries con’t

• Satisfy society’s mandate that inmates be put to work to pay back their debt to society by earning wages to pay fines, court costs and victims’ restitution, and by sending money home to support their own families, rather than possibly relying on public assistance.

The Challenges of Correctional Industries

• To work in collaboration and with the support of correctional administrators.

• Enhance safety practices to increase safety concerns and acceptance for correctional officers.

• Ability to grow and expand programs within limited space/area inside the correctional facilities.

The Challenges of Correctional Industries con’t

• The balance of operating a business with the goal of providing a correctional job training program mandated to employ as many inmates as possible.

The Challenges of Correctional Industries con’t

• Provide realistic work environments while contending with logistical problems unique to the correctional environment. These can include twice-daily tool checks, strip searches, shakedowns, lockdowns, callouts for attorney visits, and “sally port” security checks.

The Challenges of Correctional Industries con’t

• To work within a multitude of federal, state and local policies that may be confusing and contradictory.

• Audit standards vary among inter-policy agencies.

• Dispelling the myths formed by long-held perceptions of some adversaries that inmate labor is on a par with sweat shops.

• Perception that products are low quality and high price.

The Challenges of Correctional Industries con’t

• Contending with economic issues beyond their control, such as a faltering economy. This could include educating the general public and policy-makers that inmates are part of the same workforce continuum as the U.S. labor force, and as such, not creating displacement issues.

Who Win’s with Correctional Industries?

• Society and our Communities

• Correctional Administrators

• Correctional Staff

• Offenders and their Families

• Local Business

“This year, some 600,000 inmates will be released from prison back into society. We know from long experience that if they can’t find work, or a home, or help, they are much more likely to commit crime and return to prison. . . America is the land of second chance, and when the gates of the prison open, the path ahead should lead to a better life.”

– President George W. Bush