NCJ Number
84257
Date Published
1982
Length
74 pages
Annotation
A review of Federal correctional industries concluded that institutional work was important in prisons' daily operations but did little to enhance inmates' skills. Programs providing more relevant work experience sometimes lacked workers.
Abstract
The General Accounting Office (GAO) studied seven Federal prisons between March 1980 and January 1981, contacted Federal agencies that purchased prison industry products, and visited State prisons. GAO found that the typical institutional job did little to improve inmates' vocational skills. Moreover, many more inmates than necessary were assigned to tasks, resulting in shortened work schedules, make-work projects, and idleness. Barriers to more efficient use and expansion of these projects were lack of criteria for determining the number of workers needed for daily tasks, an administrative ceiling on supervisory personnel imposed by the Office of Management and Budget, concerns over competition with private business, and an emphasis on teaching good work habits rather than specific job skills. Federal efforts to assist State prison industries through the Free Venture Program and the Prison Industry Enhancement Program have been impeded by legislative restrictions and traditional attitudes toward prison industries. The report offers recommendations for upgrading job experiences and decreasing correctional costs, and suggests continuing Federal assistance to State prison industries. Appendixes contain data on prison populations, prison industry products, and sales, along with comments from the Department of Justice.