The Nation - News from March 10, 1986

The Justice Department, reporting on a study of American prison operations, said that prison officials increasingly are turning to private industry to employ convicts in efforts to generate much-needed revenue and give inmates an alternative to idleness. The study found that nearly 1,000 prisoners working for 19 private companies in 17 state correctional facilities across the country generate sales of $21 million annually. Their wages, as high as $7.75 an hour, help to cover skyrocketing prison costs, allow the inmates to make restitution to crime victims and help them support their families, the report said.