A "Dedication" is offered for U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger, who provided influential leadership in promoting "factories with fences." A foreword outlines the myths, successes, and challenges of the Federal prison industries program. The body of the booklet begins by noting that historically industrial and other work programs for prisoners have generated considerable controversy. Organized labor and small business alike have expressed fears that prison-made merchandise constitutes unfair competition; further, the brutal work programs in State and county prisons during the 19th century precipitated a national outcry. The Federal Prison Industries, Inc., was created with such concerns in mind. It was designed to enable inmates to perform meaningful work under humane conditions without posing a significant competitive threat to private industry or labor. The author justifies prison industries on several ground, namely, safe prison management and better prison discipline through the reduction of idleness, cost-efficiency, inmate job-training and rehabilitation, and inmate financial responsibility. This historical overview of Federal prison industries describes early prison work programs; Federal inmate work programs prior to the creation of Federal Prison Industries; the creation of Federal Prison Industries, Inc., in 1934-35; FPI through depression and war, 1935-1945; and temporary downturns and new directions over the period 1946-59. Also discussed are the medical model and modernization during the period 1960-80, as well as marketing the product and selling the program under a new corporate logo and trade name since 1980: "UNICOR." 28 references and appended supplementary material