A guest commentary in the Momterey County Herald written by Mel Spehn suggests that he has the answer to California’s budget problems-- make prisoners work for 10-12 hours a day, at 30 cents an hour, producing items America imports from Asia and Third World countries. Since the United States cannot compete with labor costs in those countries, why not exploit over two million of our own citizens, Spehn proposes.
Spehn, who seems to lump all prisoners in the “trouble-making, time-wasting, non-productive” category has come up with a grandiose plan aimed at reducing the amount of money it costs to feed, house and clothe inmates -- make them pay for all the “services” provided to them by the department of correction. Instead of allowing them to spend time “watching Oprah reruns, plotting ways to procure drugs, injecting gang-symbol tattoos etc.,” make them work longer hours, and for much less wages , than Oprah- watching, drug-procuring, tattoo parlor-visiting non-prisoners. No 9-5 hours for convicts!
Spenh, whose thumb-nail biography states that he is a psychologist who also consulted for the Safer Foundation, a well respected prison reentry initiative based in Chicago. The Safer Foundation. refers to those released from prison, as formerly incarcerated persons, and prides itself as being a staunch advocate for those who are incarcerated, and for those who are released.
Another component to Spehn’s plan is to create a Prisoner Worker Program. Spehn envisions a business entity that would provide two million hours of free labor each day. He suggests that an independent group made up of business people would regulate the PWP under the direction of a chosen leader. Spehn mentioned Donald Trump as candidate for that position.
The profits generated by prisoners making “buttons, cellphone parts, widgets ” and other merchandise that doesn’t compete with U.S. companies would be used to pay for salaries of prison guards, the maintenance of the prisons, as well as utility costs. After those expenses were taken care of Spenh believes crime victims should be compensated. If any money is left over, the funds would go toward improving the lot of the prison workers by providing better food, housing, and educational and recreational programs. Prison-workers would also have an account set up for their release, so that they, “don’t have to immediately rob a 7-Eleven, sell drugs or engage in prostitution to survive.”
Expecting problems from unions over the use of cheap labor, Spehn spins the unlikely scenario of prisons allowing inmates to join unions. Of course, if that option came to pass, the prisoner union workers would have to pay union dues out of their meager wages.
Spenh is correct in stating that there is too much down time in prisons, but those with a more realistic view of prisons and prisoners know that it would cost millions, if not billions of dollars to construct working factories in prisons. After all, prisoners are not going to be allowed to work in factories in the communities. Add to that the cost of developing business plans, marketing costs, procurement and salaries of knowledgeable staff, training inmates to make or grow the product, packaging expenses, transportation costs to get the product to market and dozens of expected and unexpected expenses and the project seems to be unrealistic. An existing program, the California Prison Industry Authority (CALPIA), already has mini-industries within the system. Inmates produce and sell items from almonds to mattresses. Some items are produced more expensively than similar items made by competitors. An article in the Orange County Register reported that under California state law, “CALPIA is not allowed to sell to the general public, and compete with private industry.”
The Prisoner worker project would have to be paid for by outside business people, who might reconsider the temptation of cheap labor when they factor in down-time attributed to the seemingly endless rounds of prison uprisings, or lock-downs based on rival gang killings. Like workers beyond prison walls, inmates may not be reliable. Also, a prisoner trained to perform a job skillfully might receive an incident report for unauthorized behavior, and land in “the hole” for an unspecified amount of time, Inmates are known to steal tools, or other items that can be fashioned into weapons. Gang loyalties run deeper than a 90-cents an hour job. The majority of workers, however, would appreciate learning a job skill that they could utilize upon release. And that 90 cents an hour seems like gold to an inmate who has no other source of income.
Spehn’s idea has some merit, of course. Getting the logistics to make his plan succeed, however would take an enormous amount of time and effort. But what is America, if not the land of capitalism and opportunity? Industry leaders just might put their heads together to formulate a feasible plan to bring business and prisoners together. Or, businesses might develop a plan that would put more unemployed people to work, and perhaps having steady employment would discourage an individual from committing a crime and becoming yet another American prisoner.
To view the California State Auditor’s report on the California Prisoner Industry Authority click here to go to website
Sources: Monterey County Herald and Orange County Register
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