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Mission for the Eighties - A Free Enterprise Perspective for Florida Prison Industries

NCJ Number
90472
Author(s)
M Silverman; L Galizio; L M Schwartz
Date Published
1982
Length
37 pages
Annotation
After considering traditional and contemporary concepts underlying prison industries, this report presents a mission statement for Florida prison industries, followed by a discussion of issues involved in carrying out the mission.
Abstract
The mission statement for Florida prison industries falls within the general framework of the Free Venture model, whose objectives are to expose workers to a realistic work environment, make prison industries self-supporting or profitmaking enterprises, establish financial incentives and penalties for job placement of inmates upon release, and requires workers to pay partial support for their custody and for victim restitution. However, several issues must be considered before the objective can be implemented. For instance, Free Venture programs should simulate a normal 8-hour work day in which emphasis is on productivity and product quality. The traditional rehabilitative justification is not an issue. Second, provision will have to be made for now-prohibited private-sector involvement, flexible versus fixed operation, and consolidation and diversification, administrative processes that can be applied simultaneously. A strong centralized planning and marketing division will be needed also. A particularly critical issue will be capital demands. In addition, program administrators will have to deal with the problems of inmate motivation, selection and retention, profit charting, staffing, and post-release employment.