Glossary
What is Prison Wages?
The pay incarcerated people earn for prison jobs, often well under $1 an hour, and nothing at all for some jobs in some states.
Prison wages are what incarcerated people earn for jobs inside. These include regular facility jobs and jobs in state-owned businesses, often called Correctional Industries.
Pay is low. A 2017 Prison Policy Initiative analysis found average wages for regular prison jobs ranged from 14 to 63 cents an hour, and 33 cents to $1.41 an hour in state-owned industries. Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Texas did not pay for regular prison jobs.
The same analysis listed federal BOP pay of 12 to 40 cents an hour for regular jobs. Low wages are one reason family support matters for commissary.
Read more
- The Cost of Supporting a Loved One in Prison, and How to Stretch Your Budget
- Prison Commissary Prices: Why They Feel So High