https://thehill.com/blogs/3525313-us-prison-workers-produce-11b-worth-of-goods-and-services-for-little-to-no-pay-at-all/# Refresh (2700 sec) Skip to content Toggle Menu TheHill.com * [ ] [Search] Close search form * News + Senate + House + Administration + Campaign + Regulation + Business + Media + Briefing Room + Latino + Morning Report + 12:30 Report + State Watch + In The Know + Sunday Talk Shows + People in the News + Print Edition * Policy + Defense + Energy & Environment + Finance + Healthcare + Technology + Transportation + International + Cybersecurity + National Security + Sustainability * Opinion + Columnists + Congress Blog + All Contributors o Campaign o Civil Rights o Criminal Justice o Cybersecurity o Education o Energy and Environment o Finance o Healthcare o Immigration o International o Judiciary o National Security o Technology o White House + Submit Opinion Content * Events + Upcoming Events + About * Jobs * THE HILL TV * Changing America + Respect + Sustainability + Enrichment + Resilience + Well-Being * Sign up to our latest Newsletter Sign Up * Search trending: * Jan. 6 hearings * Texas school shooting * Abortion * Joe Biden sponsored: * MISUNDERSTOOD: THE HUAWEI STORY Just In... * Republicans should wait to regulate Big Tech Congress Blog - 14m 4s ago * YouTube removes video from Jan 6 panel including Trump's election misinformation Technology - 35m ago * Eight countries are updating their 2030 climate goals Energy & Environment - 46m 59s ago * Harris meets baby formula shipment outside DC Administration - 1h 11m ago * Finals MVP Steph Curry's jaw-dropping mansion is up for sale Wire - 1h 11m ago * VIDEO: Car rams through Trump-themed shop in Massachusetts Wire - 1h 11m ago * Trump criticizes Pence after Jan. 6 hearing: 'Human conveyor belt' Administration - 1h 15m ago * Florida rule would eliminate Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care Equality - 1h 27m ago View all Load more Blogs US prison workers produce $11B worth of goods and services for 'little to no pay at all' by Sarakshi Rai - 06/15/22 6:51 PM ET Share Tweet ... [ ] More Share Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Whatsapp Email Despite producing nearly $11 billion worth of goods and services each year, incarcerated workers in the U.S. earn an average of just between 13 cents and 52 cents per hour across the country, according to a new report. A new American Civil Liberties Union report published Wednesday said that wages are low, and that in most cases the government takes up to 80 percent of the pay for room and board, court costs, restitution and other fees, including the construction and maintenance of prisons. Incarcerated workers produce more than $2 billion per year in goods and more than $9 billion per year in services for the maintenance of the prisons, the report added. According to the report, the wage deductions leave the workers with less than half of their gross pay, from which they are expected to cover the cost of their own hygiene products and medical care. Almost 70 percent of incarcerated workers who were polled said they cannot afford basic necessities with their prison wages. The report also found that prison workers in seven states -- Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas -- are not paid any compensation for majority of their work. The ACLU also found that more than 76 percent of incarcerated workers surveyed by the Bureau of Justice Statistics say that "they are required to work or face additional punishments such as solitary confinement, denial of opportunities to reduce their sentence, and loss of family visitation." According to the report, prisoners cannot choose what type of work they do and are allegedly "subject to arbitrary, discriminatory, and punitive decisions by the prison administrators who select their work assignments." Many incarcerated workers also do hazardous work in unsafe conditions. As a result of poor data collection, the true number of workers injured on the job is unknown, the report added. "Prison labor is inherently coercive and exploitative. Incarcerated workers are not protected by standard labor laws, like minimum wages, overtime protection, the right to unionize, and workplace safety guarantees," according to the ACLU report. NRA lobbyist in Florida retiring after 4 decades Mike Lindell says he slammed computer after told Walmart would cancel MyPillow The authors of the report have demanded that prisons around the country raise the wages of incarcerated workers to allow them to pay for expenses like "child support, phone calls home and commissary costs, while supporting their families and saving for eventual reentry into the society." They have also asked that lawmakers amend the Constitution to abolish the 13th Amendment exclusion that allows slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime. More than 1.2 million people in the U.S. are currently incarcerated in state and federal prisons, of whom approximately two-thirds are employed in the prison system. Tags ACLU American Civil Liberties Union incarcerated workers Prisoners prisons The Hill has removed its comment section, as there are many other forums for readers to participate in the conversation. We invite you to join the discussion on Facebook and Twitter. Share Tweet ... 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