# Why do some prison inmates work for a few cents an hour? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 29, 2015, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214 "2015-01-29T11:12:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gracefulfatsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@gracefulfatsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracefulfatsheba)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214/21 "2015-01-29T17:48:13Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > Not in Ohio prisons. That’s pretty sickening in a first-world country. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214/22 "2015-01-29T17:53:27Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > Under the Prison Industry Engancement Certification Prigram, any prison job that makes goods that move in interstate commerce has to pay the same as nonincarcerated people doing that job make. Does the money actually go straight to the prisoners, or is it used to pay off various debts and fees? ---
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214/23 "2015-01-29T18:14:08Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Does the money actually go straight to the prisoners, or is it used to pay off various debts and fees? At least in Kansas, they take a percentage for room and board, then deduct any court-ordered child support, victim restitution, reimbursement for public defender, etc., then take ten percent for “mandatory savings” (returned to inmate upon release), then after income taxes, Social Security withholding, and so forth, whatever’s left goes straight to the inmate’s account. He or she can then use that money to buy food and toiletries, or books, arts & craft supplies, a TV, and other approved merchandise. Even with all of the deductions, prisoners with private industry jobs tend to be at the top of the food chain. ---
**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:** [January 29, 2015, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214/24 "2015-01-29T20:35:33Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > What’s the most skilled job that one can commonly get in prison? E.g. if you were an accountant, how easy is it to get a job in the prison’s accounting department? Or if you were an HR guru “on the outside”, will they let you be the “HR guy” in prison? You’re not going to be involved in the administration of the prison. Civilian employees do all of that. The three best jobs are: 1. Legal clerk. There are prisoners who work in the law library and are assigned to assist other prisoners in their legal work. It’s skilled work and the wages for legal clerks are set high by law. 2. Industry jobs. Some prisons manufacture products. These are essentially factory jobs so they’re more work than the usual prison job. But they’re generally the highest paying jobs for prisoners. 3. Jobs that have side-benefits. Some jobs don’t pay prisoners that well officially but give prisoners opportunities to get off the book benefits. For example, being a barber. Every prisoner is entitled to a basic haircut once a month and you’ll get that for free. But suppose you want extra haircuts or you want a special haircut with some style? Or you want to get the first haircut rather than wait an hour for your turn? You have to slip the barber a candy bar or something to get these extras. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214/25 "2015-01-29T21:00:21Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > I volunteer at a maximum security prison in southern Ohio. Lebanon? I did a fire alarm upgrade at Lebanon CI (I’m an engineer), and did the construction administration, so I was in the prison for meetings every week for about a year. The plate shop there is pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214/26 "2015-01-30T02:59:49Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > … in southern Ohio. … The prison system doesn’t even supply basic toiletries. For those who have no financial support from family or friends outside, the pittance they get paid is the only way they can afford soap and tooth paste. Does the prison supply toilet paper at least? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214/27 "2015-01-30T03:09:38Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > What’s the most skilled job that one can commonly get in prison? E.g. if you were an accountant, how easy is it to get a job in the prison’s accounting department? Or if you were an HR guru “on the outside”, will they let you be the “HR guy” in prison? I would imagine trust would be a big issue. An accountant who was jailed for embezzlement or fraud might not be trusted as prison accountant. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214/28 "2015-01-30T06:12:44Z")
Two earlier threads on related subject: [Why don’t minimum wage laws apply to inmate jobs?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=614440), June 2011. [Are prison inmates required to work past retirement age?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=651199), May 2012. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214/29 "2015-01-30T06:15:08Z")
> [@slash2k](#): > > No. The jobs available to inmates are all defined in advance, and they are mostly low-skill to no-skill: kitchen, janitorial, yard maintenance, basic secretarial/clerk (e.g., in the library or the chaplain’s office), etc. “Low skill to no skill” sums it up. Among my clients at the local jail, many reported working in the kitchen, where one guy’s job was to put a salt packet and a pepper packet on each tray, another’s was to put a sugar packet for coffee on each tray, and yet another’s was to make sure each tray had a napkin. It was certainly unskilled, but as the guys said, it was something to do that passed the time and earned them some spending money for the canteen. ---
**Author:** ![deregulated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7bcc69/32.png) [@deregulated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deregulated)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214/30 "2015-01-31T11:25:14Z")
Most prisons give you a choice; work or school. Unless you are in segregation, you cannot just sit on your bunk and take it easy. ---
**Author:** ![straightdough](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@straightdough](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straightdough)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214/31 "2015-02-01T05:27:30Z")
torture labor. forced labor. slave labor. or simply _coerced_ labor. in many states if you don’t work your assigned job, you are not eligible for “good time/work time credits”…meaning if you continue to refuse to work, you will end up doing close to 100% of your sentence instead of something like 35%, 50%, 80%, or 85%. many times you don’t get a job right away upon entrance to a prison anyway. many prisoners want to work. it allows the prisoner opportunities to meet people from other areas of the prison, which helps if there is a drug and/or tobacco draught on a particular block/wing/yard/whatever. this is how the dope/tobacco is transferred of course. also, by working, the prisoner can stay occupied and feel important. many workers love to try to get all cuddly with the guards in hopes of fermenting favors and approval. other times a worker is simply trying to get in cool in order to get the guard to bring in dope, tobacco, cell phones, or whatever else (although other staff, such as laundry-site supervisors, nurses, etc are responsible for smuggling in goods also). some jobs can be 20 or 30 cents an hour or even a dollar or 2. prison commissary items and most mail-order catalogs such as Access and Walkenhorst (i forgot the names exactly) that contract with prisons are reasonably priced…unlike many jail commissaries which are oftentimes outrageously priced and ran by scum. anyway, i believe prisons would do better by selling out and/or contracting out prisoners as sex-slaves to sex slave operations, then turning around and giving the proceeds to prisoners who agree to participate in a Torture Training Program so they can become Professional Torturers as a career upon their release. also, a forced lottery system should be instituted in each prison in which 2 or 3 lucky winners (staff would be forced to play too) are allowed to flip a coin and call it in order to be released (or in case a staff member wins, a $100,000 bank transfer). if they fail to call the coin correctly they are tortured with utmost barbarity and depravity by ex-con Professional Torturers called upon with lucrative contracts by the prison authorties responsible for adminstering the prisons Lottery and Torture Departments. thus, a viciously depraved circular torture. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214/32 "2015-02-01T11:05:34Z")
> [@straightdough](#): > > anyway, i believe prisons would do better by selling out and/or contracting out prisoners as sex-slaves to sex slave operations, then turning around and giving the proceeds to prisoners who agree to participate in a Torture Training Program so they can become Professional Torturers as a career upon their release. also, a forced lottery system should be instituted in each prison in which 2 or 3 lucky winners (staff would be forced to play too) are allowed to flip a coin and call it in order to be released (or in case a staff member wins, a $100,000 bank transfer). if they fail to call the coin correctly they are tortured with utmost barbarity and depravity by ex-con Professional Torturers called upon with lucrative contracts by the prison authorties responsible for adminstering the prisons Lottery and Torture Departments. thus, a viciously depraved circular torture. So, your newsletter. What do you call it? ---
**Author:** ![straightdough](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@straightdough](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straightdough)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214/33 "2015-02-01T20:36:08Z")
The Professional Torturer a montly newsletter detailing some of the most vicious and depraved Torture Cases of the month, including extremely graphic high quality images and artwork depicting the sheer agony and despair of the Torturees… in addition… along with general news and updates regarding the Torture Program, auxillary programs funded and/or consulted upon by the U.S. Department of Torture, and research conducted into the art of torture…The Professional Torturer offers job opportunities as either a Professional Torturer or volunteer Torturee. volunteer Torturees are utilized for research purposes and the families of said Torturees are given significant cash payment and additional benefits, such as dedicated live-cam access to the Torture to see the aforementioned research conducted and how it benefits society as a whole. The Professional Torturer is a themed publication, coinciding with the holidays and seasons. subscriptions to the Professional Torturer are currently free, funded and distributed courtesy of the United States Public taxpayers money. Subscriptions for business and other organizations are a reasonable $25 a year. this money is collected to ostensibly help fund renditions, but no one really knows where the money goes. The Professional Torturer also features interviews with not only Torturers and Torturees, but also Program Network Technicians, Regional Directors, Accountants, Attorneys, Medical Personnel, and other assorted Personnel employed or otherwise utilized by the Torture Program…providing the Public with insight and enlightenment into the Torture Program as a whole, as well as quality entertainment. Torture Memorabilia can be purchased in the quarterly catalog which accompanies a yearly subscription to The Professional Torturer. Autographs randomly accompany the memorabilia. all Subscribers are entered into a Torture Pool. an automated computer program randomly selects 5 Subscribers using reference numbers assigned by the automated program to all subscribers per each years list…selected Subscribers enjoy the opportunity to be rendited to a classified Torture Site, flown by rocket into earths orbit then subsequently transported by a classified space vehicle to an installation hosting the Torture Site. selected Subscribers will certainly enjoy the leading edge of Torture Research. no further information will be provided for now, so as not to spoil the suprise (and leak confidential data). ---
**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:** [February 1, 2015, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214/34 "2015-02-01T20:51:59Z")
Ummm…okay…sounds like a great idea Nobody make any sudden moves. Just slowly back out of the thread while I distract him. So, torture and sex slavery. Tell us more about that. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214/35 "2015-02-01T21:26:32Z")
> [@straightdough](#): > > anyway, i believe prisons would do better by selling out and/or contracting out prisoners as sex-slaves to sex slave operations, then turning around and giving the proceeds to prisoners who agree to participate in a Torture Training Program so they can become Professional Torturers as a career upon their release. also, a forced lottery system should be instituted in each prison in which 2 or 3 lucky winners (staff would be forced to play too) are allowed to flip a coin and call it in order to be released (or in case a staff member wins, a $100,000 bank transfer). if they fail to call the coin correctly they are tortured with utmost barbarity and depravity by ex-con Professional Torturers called upon with lucrative contracts by the prison authorties responsible for adminstering the prisons Lottery and Torture Departments. thus, a viciously depraved circular torture. > [@straightdough](#): > > The Professional Torturer > > a montly newsletter detailing some of the most vicious and depraved Torture Cases of the month, including extremely graphic high quality images and artwork depicting the sheer agony and despair of the Torturees… > > in addition… along with general news and updates regarding the Torture Program, auxillary programs funded and/or consulted upon by the U.S. Department of Torture, and research conducted into the art of torture…The Professional Torturer offers job opportunities as either a Professional Torturer or volunteer Torturee. volunteer Torturees are utilized for research purposes and the families of said Torturees are given significant cash payment and additional benefits, such as dedicated live-cam access to the Torture to see the aforementioned research conducted and how it benefits society as a whole. > > The Professional Torturer is a themed publication, coinciding with the holidays and seasons. subscriptions to the Professional Torturer are currently free, funded and distributed courtesy of the United States Public taxpayers money. Subscriptions for business and other organizations are a reasonable $25 a year. this money is collected to ostensibly help fund renditions, but no one really knows where the money goes. > > The Professional Torturer also features interviews with not only Torturers and Torturees, but also Program Network Technicians, Regional Directors, Accountants, Attorneys, Medical Personnel, and other assorted Personnel employed or otherwise utilized by the Torture Program…providing the Public with insight and enlightenment into the Torture Program as a whole, as well as quality entertainment. > > Torture Memorabilia can be purchased in the quarterly catalog which accompanies a yearly subscription to The Professional Torturer. Autographs randomly accompany the memorabilia. > > all Subscribers are entered into a Torture Pool. an automated computer program randomly selects 5 Subscribers using reference numbers assigned by the automated program to all subscribers per each years list…selected Subscribers enjoy the opportunity to be rendited to a classified Torture Site, flown by rocket into earths orbit then subsequently transported by a classified space vehicle to an installation hosting the Torture Site. selected Subscribers will certainly enjoy the leading edge of Torture Research. no further information will be provided for now, so as not to spoil the suprise (and leak confidential data). **Moderator Warning** **straightdough** , this is way over the top for GQ. This is an official warning for trolling. Don’t do this again. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214/36 "2015-02-02T00:17:54Z")
> [@slash2k](#): > > At least in Kansas, they take a percentage for room and board, then deduct any court-ordered child support, victim restitution, reimbursement for public defender, etc., then take ten percent for “mandatory savings” (returned to inmate upon release), then after income taxes, Social Security withholding, and so forth, whatever’s left goes straight to the inmate’s account. He or she can then use that money to buy food and toiletries, or books, arts & craft supplies, a TV, and other approved merchandise. Even with all of the deductions, prisoners with private industry jobs tend to be at the top of the food chain. This is pretty much the way it is here. Prisoners make a pittance. The purpose of a job is to keep them occupied while showing them the value of work and allowing them to buy things within the prison system. If you work hard and/or save your money you can “move up” from pennies per hour to 50 or 60 cents per hour, maybe buy a TV or radio for your cell after a year of savings. At a minimum, you can buy cokes and snacks a few times per week in the evening. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214/37 "2015-02-02T03:46:16Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > What’s the most skilled job that one can commonly get in prison? E.g. if you were an accountant, how easy is it to get a job in the prison’s accounting department? Or if you were an HR guru “on the outside”, will they let you be the “HR guy” in prison? Nowadays, probably not. But according to Wikipedia, O. Henry worked as a pharmacist while he was in prison. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214/38 "2015-02-02T04:03:53Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > So, torture and sex slavery. Tell us more about that. That does raise the question though. In jurisdictions where prostitution is legal, what are the arguements against using (consenting) prisoners as sex workers. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214/39 "2015-02-02T04:57:29Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > That does raise the question though. In jurisdictions where prostitution is legal, what are the arguements against using (consenting) prisoners as sex workers. That they can’t give consent to that work, because they’re prisoners, and therefore are subject to pressures most people aren’t subject to, both official and _de facto_. ---
**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:** [February 2, 2015, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214/40 "2015-02-02T05:08:20Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > That does raise the question though. In jurisdictions where prostitution is legal, what are the arguements against using (consenting) prisoners as sex workers. Okay, some serious answers. 1. Morally, it’s wrong. That’s my opinion but I think most people would agree. 2. Politically, it would be a catastrophe. 3. Economically, it would be a bad idea. Prison labor is supposed to serve some useful function and I can’t see how you could fit prostitution into that. 4. Geographically, the areas where prostitution is legal are isolated small towns in rural Nevada. There aren’t any prisons around there. 5. Constitutionally, it’s probably an 8th Amendment violation. 6. Administratively, it would be nearly impossible to properly supervise prisoners and maintain security in a brothel environment. 7. Rehabilitatively (assuming this is a word) training prisoners to be prostitutes, which is widely illegal, would seem to encourage them in future law breaking. 8. Aesthetically, prisoners are often not the most attractive people. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-prison-inmates-work-for-a-few-cents-an-hour/711214.md?page=3)