To stimulate interest in as many jurisdictions as possible, NIJ adopted a broad definition of jail industry meaning one which uses inmate labor, creates a product or provides a service, has value for the public or a private client, and offers the inmate some form of compensation. The common goals for jail industry programs are to develop inmate work habits and skills, generate revenues, reduce inmate idleness, and meet community needs. Inmates work for wages, good time credit, and early release. This article concludes that the benefits to inmates and their families, taxpayers, and the jails themselves outweigh any difficulties that must be surmounted in establishing this type of program.