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UNICOR is the trade name for the Federal Prison Industries (FPI) and is the largest single employer of prisoners for cheap labor. UNICOR's inventory is very diverse including electronics, clothing and textiles, metals, graphics and medical supplies. Most products are sold only to government funded agencies, such as schools and hospitals; however, in Oregon, some inmates sew a brand of jeans, called "Prison Blues," a very lucrative job for the prisoners. Companies Which Profit From the Exploitation of Prison Labor
  • California prisoners receive minimum wage for their labor, $5.75, 80% of which is taken by the state and another portion goes to housing, etc. for the prisoner; leaving him/her with a profit of about $0.23 per hour.
  • Prisoners receive no benefits, vacation, decent health care, safety standards, or the ability to form a union for their labor.
  • Prisoners make a number of goods: furniture, clothing, electronics, etc.
McDonalds Toys R Us
TWA Eddie Bauer
Motorola Nordstrom
Compaq MCI
Texas Instruments Victoria's Secret
Dell Chevron
Target 3Com
Revlon Pierre Cardin
IBM Kaiser Steel
Nortel Boeing
Jostens Honeywell
For the sources of this information, visit http://www.prisonactivist.org/prison-labor/sources