NCJ Number
112985
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 50 Issue: 5 Dated: (August 1988) Pages: 174,176,178
Date Published
1988
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Prison industries can help corrections officials achieve three major goals: they reduce inmate idleness by providing jobs, they reduce incarceration costs through financially sustaining operations, and they provide vocational training.
Abstract
There are four models of prison industries. In State-use industries product sales are restricted to State and local Governments, and all control, risks, and rewards rest with the public-sector. Access to public markets may range from a monopoly to preferred source status. Employees are civil service, providing a degree of longevity, and the human side of prison industry goals is usually optimized. The partnership model involves contracting with a private firm. Contracts may include provisions on training, technical assistance, and royalties. Goods or services are sold to traditional prison industry markets. Since control is shared, public risks and rewards are reduced. While there is more private-sector involvement in design, marketing, production, and quality control, traditional State-use structure and goals usually remain unchanged. In the corporate model, operations are established as a quasi-independent entity; and the importance of production incentives is emphasized. Control rests with the quasi-public corporation, while access to public markets is retained. This model has considerable flexibility, operations are more independent, and both human and economic factors and goals are considered. The private-sector model includes private management, private financing with public incentives, and open-market sales. Employees are private, procurement and decisionmaking are under private control, and profit and realistic employment are primary goals. Photographs.