NCJ Number
97565
Date Published
1984
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article suggests that a system of market-adjusted wages for work done in Swedish prisons, which is comparable to paid work in the outside community, should be introduced.
Abstract
Experiments with market-adjusted wages which started at the Tillberga open national institution in 1972 and at the Skogome closed national institution in 1975, are reported. The object of the experiments, to enable inmates to improve their financial and social situation in preparation for their release, is discussed. Attention is focused on the roles the institutions play in assisting inmates in their budget planning; evaluation of the trials at the two sites is reported. The evaluations showed that the market wage system had great advantages for inmates, and because several questions concerned with inmates' wages such as tax liability and social insurance were unclear, the Committee for Market-Adjusted Wages to Prison Inmates (MAIK) was appointed. MAIK extended the experiments to Vangdalen, an open local institution in 1982. Differences in three experiments are highlighted; the success of the Vangdalen experiment is reported. A general rationale for the market-adjusted wage system is included, and 10 MAIK proposals are provided. These include: the market-adjusted wage should qualify for pension, should be liable for tax, and should be treated as income from employment. Finally, a plan for extending the market-adjusted wage system is offered, and the cost of the reform is calculated.