They noted that involving prisoners in real work can reduce the boredom and idleness that have been linked to inmate violence. It can also help inmates develop marketable job skills and associated personal skills. Finally, it can reduce the tax burden to Illinois citizens by making productive taxpayers of inmates and by generating profits in the prison industries. Some of the legal barriers to prison industries are being removed, making expansion of private sector involvement possible. The State can also use the experience of other States to avoid various pitfalls in developing private/public prison industries. Speakers also focused on federally supported efforts to develop strategies to establish and improve prison industries, case examples of current prison industries, the hidden costs involved in prison industries, and the status of correctional industries in Illinois. Speakers included correctional officials, a legislator, a business executive, a judge, and a representative of the National Center for Innovation in Corrections.