NCJ Number
177765
Date Published
May 1998
Length
15 pages
Annotation
The concept of correctional industries is not new since State and Federal correctional systems have been using inmate industries as a way of managing inmates for at least a century, and a driving force in the future of correctional industries may involve the shift of nonviolent offenders from overcrowded State prison systems to local or community-based programs and facilities.
Abstract
Many communities are increasingly using alternative sentences that emphasize the use of sanctions other than incarceration. Alternative facilities include community-based correctional centers and residential work release, alcohol and drug abuse treatment, and community work programs. The National Association of Counties (NACO) has adopted a strong policy position in support of correctional industries, a position that emphasizes the involvement of jails, organized labor, and the business community to ensure correctional industries realize their fullest potential. The NACO supports a productive workday and emphasizes fair market value wages for correctional industry labor. Examples of correctional industries are cited that show strategic planning, implementation, and monitoring are critical to the development and implementation of successful correctional industry programs and enterprises. 12 references