# Are prison inmates allowed to sleep in? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 24, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870 "2011-03-24T17:47:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870/21 "2011-03-25T13:34:36Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I can’t believe prisoners’ sleep is so highly regulated. It strikes me as insane. Interesting choice of words. One of the things we’re taught in nursing school (which is roundly ignored in the actual world, it seems) is that consistent routine without excessive sleep is very important in treating the mentally ill. You let a person in a psychotic state set his own sleep schedule, and it makes his symptoms worse. You let a depressed person sleep as much as she wants, and it takes much longer for her to get better. Getting people up and keeping them busy with activities and groups is supposed to be very therapeutic. Considering that so many people in prison are mentally ill, it seems to me a very good idea to utilize those same strategies in prison. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870/22 "2011-03-25T13:58:41Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > If I were in charge of a prison, there would be unrestricted sleeping time, and sedatives in all the food and drinks. > > What could possibly be the downside of having all the prisoners sleeping rather than … brewing alcohol, smuggling drugs, … Let me get this straight – you want to forcibly administer drugs to all the prisoners in order to prevent them from producing and consuming drugs? I am glad you are not in charge of a prison. In fact, I hope you’re not in charge of anyone. ---
**Author:** ![StrangerThanFiction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f05b48/32.png) [@StrangerThanFiction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StrangerThanFiction)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870/23 "2011-03-25T14:14:50Z")
> [@GreasyJack](#): > > I’d imagine if they’re trying to rehabilitate these guys, they’d want to get them used to a fairly regular schedule. If you get used to copious amounts of sleep and keeping erratic hours, you’ll end up as some weirdo who posts to message boards at 3 in the morning instead of a productive member of society. I see what you did there… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870/24 "2011-03-25T14:23:07Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > No prison I worked at ever started the day at 4 AM. There were situations where you might wake up some individual prisoners at 4 AM. For example if they were farm workers who had to go out and milk cows or kitchen workers who had to start getting breakfast ready or work release inmates who had to get to their jobs (one prison I worked at we drove the prisoners to the train station so they could commute into New York City). But the general wake-up time was usually six or seven. Fascinating. So, what happened if they missed their train back out to the prison? Easy enough for that to happen innocently - miss your subway, arrive at the train platform as the train is pulling out, and now you’re just out of luck. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870/25 "2011-03-25T14:28:14Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Interesting choice of words. One of the things we’re taught in nursing school (which is roundly ignored in the actual world, it seems) is that consistent routine without excessive sleep is very important in treating the mentally ill. You let a person in a psychotic state set his own sleep schedule, and it makes his symptoms worse. You let a depressed person sleep as much as she wants, and it takes much longer for her to get better. Getting people up and keeping them busy with activities and groups is supposed to be very therapeutic. > > Considering that so many people in prison are mentally ill, it seems to me a very good idea to utilize those same strategies in prison. During my short stay in the cuckoo’s nest, they made you get up at 7:00 to do vitals and meds. Then you could go back to your room and sleep all day if you wanted, as long as you didn’t sleep anywhere else. After two days of no sleep, mostly because I hadn’t slept in a bed for decades, I finally fell asleep on the back of a couch in the day room. They woke me up to tell me that, if I wanted to sleep, I had to do it in my room. They made you go to bed at 10 p.m. but you could lie there awake all night if you wanted. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870/26 "2011-03-25T14:36:05Z")
Some people in this thread seem to have the impression that prisoners don’t do any work. Unless they’re in solitary confinement, they do have jobs. Inmates often assist with the operations of the prison; for example, my friend who went to prison said that he was responsible for helping to prepare the salad bar and some other stuff in the kitchen. He got up very early since he was responsible for preparing breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870/27 "2011-03-25T14:41:14Z")
> [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > Some people in this thread seem to have the impression that prisoners don’t do any work. Unless they’re in solitary confinement, they do have jobs. This depends on the prison, doesn’t it? I find it hard to believe that every prison in the world provides jobs for their inmates. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870/28 "2011-03-25T14:54:24Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > This depends on the prison, doesn’t it? I find it hard to believe that every prison in the world provides jobs for their inmates. I’m sure there’s going to be variance if you include every prison in the world. I was referring to prisons in the U.S. What I have heard, anecdotally, is that the typical prison in the U.S. has its inmates doing labor. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870/29 "2011-03-25T16:48:43Z")
> [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > I’m sure there’s going to be variance if you include every prison in the world. I was referring to prisons in the U.S. What I have heard, anecdotally, is that the typical prison in the U.S. has its inmates doing labor. I’m pretty sure that all of that work in the US is voluntary. Forced labor prisons were outlawed a number of years ago. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870/30 "2011-03-25T17:08:52Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > I’m pretty sure that all of that work in the US is voluntary. Forced labor prisons were outlawed a number of years ago. I’m not sure we’re talking about the same thing. I’m not referring to prisoners making sweaters that can then be sold at a lower price because they were made by unpaid prisoners. I’m talking about something akin to a real job, where a prisoner does some work and is paid for his time. Not in cash, but in something akin to food stamps: tokens that can be exchanged for goods. The way it was described to me, there was something akin to a college bookstore on the premises. It’s entirely possible that I’m taking anecdotes and erroneously extrapolating based on this. I just know that someone who has been in several federal prisons in different parts of the country described this experience to me, and he made it sound like that was the norm for federal prisons. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870/31 "2011-03-25T17:11:26Z")
> [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > I’m talking about something akin to a real job, where a prisoner does some work and is paid for his time. Again, even in these cases it would be voluntary. You cannot force prisoners to work in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870/32 "2011-03-25T17:33:23Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Again, even in these cases it would be voluntary. You cannot force prisoners to work in the US. Nope. You absolutely can force prisoners to work in the United States. I used to do it all the time. Check the 13th Amendment: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, **except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted** , shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870/33 "2011-03-25T17:42:01Z")
Okay, I just got off the phone with my friend from prison. Here’s what he said regarding the OP and regarding working in prison: Regarding waking up early, he said they often wake you up early, but not always. It depends on several factors: (1) How mean your prison guard is; (2) If they’re doing inspection they’ll wake you (making sure they don’t have anything illegal there, make sure they’ve kept things neat); or (3) They’ll wake you for count times (making sure everyone is present and accounted for). In any prison that is part of the federal circuit, prisoners are **required** to work. There are only two exceptions to this: (1) If you are in solitary confinement you don’t work; and (2) If you have a medical condition that prevents you from working, you can be exempt from this qualification. Their “store” is called a commissary, and he said it’s like what they have on army bases. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870/34 "2011-03-25T18:01:27Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Nope. You absolutely can force prisoners to work in the United States. I used to do it all the time. > > Check the 13th Amendment: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, **except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted** , shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” I wonder how that amendment has been interpreted. For example, does the forced labour have to form part of the sentence passed by the judge? Or does merely being incarcerated give the prison staff the right to force you to work at their whim? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870/35 "2011-03-25T18:11:12Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > I wonder how that amendment has been interpreted. For example, does the forced labour have to form part of the sentence passed by the judge? Or does merely being incarcerated give the prison staff the right to force you to work at their whim? It’s an automatic part of the sentence. ---
**Author:** ![manila](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@manila](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manila)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870/36 "2011-03-25T18:19:21Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > Someone has to run the brokerage firms. hahaha! bastard! you owe me a new keyboard and possibly medical costs to get the pasta out of my nasal cavities 😃 ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870/37 "2011-03-25T18:31:39Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > I wonder how that amendment has been interpreted. For example, does the forced labour have to form part of the sentence passed by the judge? Or does merely being incarcerated give the prison staff the right to force you to work at their whim? What about people who are in jail _awaiting trial_? It would seem they can’t legally be forced to work at all (since they aren’t convicted yet), but I imagine most pre-trial detainees would still be lining up to work if only out of boredom and to buy stuff from the commissary. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870/38 "2011-03-25T19:05:16Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Nope. You absolutely can force prisoners to work in the United States. I used to do it all the time. But how can you force someone to work? I’m sure you can’t beat them if they don’t comply. And I don’t think it’d be constitutional to withhold food or anything else necessary for life. And you say it’s an automatic part of the sentence. You mean that _all_ prisoners are required to work; it’s implicitely part of their sentence? What kind of work are we talking about here, and what hours do they work? Are they paid for it? I will admit that in some regards, the US justice and prison system baffles and scares me. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870/39 "2011-03-25T19:26:47Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > But how can you force someone to work? I’m sure you can’t beat them if they don’t comply. And I don’t think it’d be constitutional to withhold food or anything else necessary for life. Presumably you could withhold access to other resources and facilities which have been deemed non-necessary, such as recreation, visitors, or communication. Maybe you could also punish an inmate who refuses to work by increasing the length of his sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870/40 "2011-03-25T19:33:14Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > But how can you force someone to work? I’m sure you can’t beat them if they don’t comply. And I don’t think it’d be constitutional to withhold food or anything else necessary for life. > > And you say it’s an automatic part of the sentence. You mean that _all_ prisoners are required to work; it’s implicitely part of their sentence? What kind of work are we talking about here, and what hours do they work? Are they paid for it? > > I will admit that in some regards, the US justice and prison system baffles and scares me. Keep in mind we’re not talking about hard labor here. We’re talking about things like mopping the floor, mowing the grass, and washing dishes - the kinds of things your mom and dad made you do when you were a kid. And going to school counts as a job. The system in NY is based on “modules” which theoretically consist of three hours. But a lot of jobs don’t take that long. If your job is to sweep and mop the floor, you might finish your work in thirty minutes. Prisoners are supposed to work two modules a day. There’s a disciplinary system and refusing to work is a violation. You get a hearing (I literally did thousands of these) and a chance to make your case. If you’re found guilty you can get various punishments. The usual ones for low-level stuff like refusing to work is a loss of privileges like TV or hanging out in the yard or (ironically) extra work assignments. Prisoners are paid (at least in New York but other states differ) but the sums involved are pretty minimal. But we throw in free room and board and there’s a great health plan. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-prison-inmates-allowed-to-sleep-in/575870.md?page=3)