"Imagine a half-billion dollar manufacturing company that uses slave labor..."

The opening sentence of the article written by Willie Wisely, a California State prisoner, describes the attitude of most prisoners toward prison industry and inmate labor. Wisely's article is written regarding the Prison Industry Authority (PIA) and its inability to fulfill its purposes in California State Corrections. He argues that while other states manage to meet their quotas and even compete with private business in the market place, California's program, PIA, loses money every year and fails to reform the inmates. In fact, the PIA refuses to spend money to help parolees, leaving California with a 75% recidivism rate.

Though Wisely's article is strongly political, it helps us to understand the situation of the inmates and the inner-workings of California's inmate work program, the PIA. Wisely speaks out on the short-comings of the program and the lack of regard for the inmates. He goes on to comment about the conditions of the working environment in the prison factories. "Cutting urethane foam," a product used in the manufacturing of furniture in prison factories, "in the unventilated shop poses a serious, potentially lethal, health threat to prisoners and civilian employees alike." He also argues that the types of jobs that prisoners perform and the "obsolete equipment" that is used in prison factories doesn't provide inmates with proper training or rehabilitation to help them perform in regular society. It is true. How many ex-convicts are going to be able to get a job in a textile factory? It may be more beneficial to the inmates and for the economy alike, to involve them in work that they are more likely to receive upon release.

For full article written by Willie Wisely, please visit:

"California's Prison Industry Authority"

Interview: Ex-Inmate at Santa Cruz County Honor Farm

What kind of work did you do while on the Honor Farm?

"I worked at the Watsonville Dump... When I first started, I loaded trailers with electronics, mattresses, etc., cleared brush, picked up trash, dug irrigation channels and laid irrigation pipes. Then, after awhile, they had me design, engineer and build a cement head wall for an irrigation pond outlet."

How were you compensated for your labor?

"Legally, we'd get coffee and an extra sandwich in our lunches. We also got to leave the jail. Illegally, we could have outside people bring us cigarettes and contraband food. Basically we weren't paid. Everyone gets 'good time' regardless of whether they work."

So, basically the only privilege you got was the freedom of working at the honor farm?

"Yes. I got to choose to go to the honor farm and work instead of staying locked-up in the Main Jail. At the honor farm we worked during the day, we were allowed to smoke cigarettes, we had T.V.'s, pool tables, a big yard, etc. It was kind of like 'day-camp'."

So, who gets paid then?

"The jail gets paid for our labor. The jail bills the county yearly, despite the amount of workers or hours worked."