Prison industries: Purpose and practices

This dissertation seeks to understand the structure, function, and purpose of modern-day prison industries. It builds from historical context on how prison industries came to be, literature about what they should aim to do, incarcerated workers’ perspectives, and surveys of prison industries conducted prior to mass incarceration. I aim to answer the following research questions: (1) How do moral judgements shape the ways that prison industries characterize their purpose?; (2) What is the scale, scope, and types of prison industries, and the production value?; and (3) Are there racial disparities in how incarcerated workers are paid for their labor? This dissertation includes three studies: (1) a Critical Discourse Analysis of prison industry mission statements to better understand the stated purpose of industries; (2) an original survey of prison industries administrators to glean information about employment rates and wage rates for prison industry jobs, the cost of operating prison industries and the revenue generated from them, and the types of goods and services produced within facilities; and (3) an analysis of prison wage rate data from the 2004 Bureau of Justice Statistics Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities, to assess racial differences in working while incarcerated, whether incarcerated workers are paid, and prison wage rates. Collectively, the first two studies are effectively an update of prior surveys of prison industry operations and goals. I use the findings of each study to comment on theoretical implications related to the theories of prison labor as slavery, retribution, and rehabilitation. Finally, I share policy recommendations to disconnect prison industries from the elements that are exploitative and help realize the promise within mission statements that prison industries offer meaningful real-world work experience and preparation for release.