Legal Influences

Legal Influences

Legal Influences

  • In most states, the law now allows prisoners to do some form of private sector manufacturing work (there is also the federal Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program). How well are these laws working in your home state? Explain and give examples. Do they provide a valuable service to society? Or do they take jobs away from honest workers and give them to prisoners and give some firms an unfair advantage over their competitors? Explain and give examples.

Answer preview

Penal labor was incorporated in prisons to provide work experience and training for the prisoners and create labor that benefits both the state and the local communities. Some of the labor done by inmates is voluntary whereas others are involuntary. The wages that the inmates earn go towards compensation of victims, tax deductions, rooms, boards, and family maintenance.

Prison labor in the country can save the state up to $500 every week. The laws allow prisoners to work in sectors such as manufacturing and community service. They also sell some of the products produced…

(350 words)

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