prison labor in AMERICA for corporations

[undergroundpanther]

Navarrete was surprised to learn that California has been
exporting prison-made clothing to Asia. He and the other prisoners
had no idea that California, along with Oregon, was doing exactly
what the U.S. has been lambasting China for - exporting prison-made
goods. "You might just as well call this slave labor, then", says
Navarrete. "If they're selling it overseas, you know they're making
money. Where's the money going to? It ain't going to us." For the
first time in the interview, Navarrete's usual scowl turned briefly
into a smile.

Federal law prohibits domestic commerce in prison-made goods
unless inmates are paid "prevailing wage". But because the law
doesn't apply to exports, no California prison officials will end
up in cells alongside their "employees".
Interestingly enough, prison authorities on both sides of the
Pacific make similar arguments to justify prison labor. "We want
prisoners to learn a working skill", says Mai Lin Hua, warden at
China's maximum security Shanghai Jail. He admits that his
prisoners are forced to work, facing solitary confinement if they
refuse. He also says China no longer exports prison-made goods to
the U.S. (2)

http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~kastor/private/prison-la...

_______________________________________________________________________

Many corporations whose products we consume on a daily basis have learned that prison labor power can be as profitable as third world labor power exploited by U.S.-based global corporations. Both relegate formerly unionized workers to joblessness and many even wind up in prison. Some of the companies that use prison labor are IBM, Motorola, Compaq, Texas Instruments, Honeywell, Microsoft, and Boeing. But it is not only the hi-tech industries that reap the profits of prison labor. Nordstrom department stores sell jeans that are marketed as "Prison Blues," as well as t-shirts and jackets made in Oregon prisons. The advertising slogan for these clothes is "made on the inside to be worn on the outside." Maryland prisoners inspect glass bottles and jars used by Revlon and Pierre Cardin, and schools throughout the world buy graduation caps and gowns made by South Carolina prisoners.

http://home.ican.net/~edtoth/lawprisonrace.html

[ElsewheresDaughter]

1. "insourcing"(prison industry)...small business can NOT compete ...links

how can we compete with inmates who are paid $.27-$.57 an hr????
Drug War Very Effective—At Bloating Police, Prison 'Industries'
http://www.ncc-1776.com/tle2001/libe109-20010219-02.html


Testimony of the Honorable Mac Collins (GA-03)
Before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
http://edworkforce.house.gov/hearings/105th/oi/prison8598/collins.htm
August 5, 1998

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to testify before this subcommittee today. I also greatly appreciate your working with me over the last two years, as well as with Representatives Frank and Maloney, to craft legislation to protect American small businesses and workers from the predatory tactics of Federal Prison Industries. I believe that it is critical for Members to be aware of not only the competitive advantages granted under the law to Federal Prison Industries, but also the many ways in which FPI has abused the powers granted under its authorizing statute. While the rehabilitative goals of the Bureau of Prisons are laudable and universally supported, those goals should never be achieved at the expense of small businesses and law-abiding American workers.

Just over two years ago, the owner of General Engineering Service, Incorporated, a small business that formerly resided in the Third District of Georgia, Mr. Tim Graves, brought to my attention FPI's illegal expansion into the missile shipping container market. Mr. Graves predicted that if left unchecked, FPI's illegal expansion into this market would result in the closure of his business and the loss of over 150 jobs in Clayton County, Georgia. Unfortunately, Mr. Graves predictions proved extremely accurate, and General Engineering Service has now shut its doors. I believe that the behavior of FPI relative to this incident demonstrates both the weaknesses of current law and the anti-business, anti-worker sentiment that has guided FPI to attack the livelihood


Prison Industry official website
http://www.unicor.gov/index.cfm

http://www.pia.ca.gov/piawebdev/index.html

Prison Labor Links http://www.prisonactivist.org/prison-labor/

What's here?

Links to all of the state-owned prison industry operations in the U.S., state by state - see what they are saying! Also, compiled here are direct links to all of the state Department of Corrections that have an on-line presence. Finally, there is a valuable collection of links to other information banks and articles investigating the role of prison industry in the prison industrial complex.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

State-Owned Prison Industries

Information provided by the state agencies themselves.
UNICOR - Federal Prison Industries, Inc.
Alabama Correctional Industries
Alaska Correctional Industries - contact info only
Arizona Correctional Industries
Arkansas Correctional Industries
California Prison Industry Authority
California Joint Ventures Program - private corporations purchasing prison labor from the state
Colorado: Juniper Valley Products
Connecticut Prison Industries
Florida Prison Industry Enhancement program
Florida: PRIDE Enterprises
Georgia
Idaho Correctional Industries - empty page as of 4/14/99
Illinois Correctional Industries
Iowa
Kentucky Correctional Industries - "Kentucky's Best Kept Secret"
Maryland State Use Industries
Massachusetts Correctional Industries - MassCor
Michigan State Industries
Minnesota MINNCOR
Mississippi Prison Industries Corp.
Missou ri Vocational Enterprises
Montana Correctional Enterprises
New Hampshire Correctional Industries
New Jersey DEPTCOR - "And you thought we only made license plates."
New Mexico Correctional Industries
New York Corcraft
Nevada Silver State Industries
North Carolina Correction Enterprices
North Dakota Rough Rider Industries
Ohio Prison Industries
Oklahoma State Industries
Oregon Corrections Industries Programs
Pennsylvania Correctional Industries
Rhode Island Correctional Industries
South Carolina Prison Industries
South Dakota Prison Industries
Tennessee TRICOR
Texas Correctional Industries
Utah Correctional Industries
Virginia Correctional Enterprises
Washington State Correctional Industries

[UncleSepp]

2. The umass link doesn't work - please repost the link

I'm really interested to read the article.

[yella_dawg]

3. Some years ago

Prison labor was widely used to process credit card transactions. I think that is less true today. Gives you a real warm, fuzzy feeling, don't it.

[donsu]

4. why do you think they invented private owned prisons

and keep them filled. slave labor.

and it keeps a lot of men out of society.

next they will let the prisoners join the military to work out their sentences.

[undergroundpanther]

5. Try this link to Umass

http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~kastor/private/prison-labor.html