Improved Prison Work Programs Will Benefit Correctional Institutions And Inmates V. GGD-82-37

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GGD-82-37 1 (1982-06-29)

handle is hein.gao/gaobabdku0001 and id is 1 raw text is: IO No)

BY THE U.S. GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE

Report To The Attorney General

Improved Prison Work Programs

Will Benefit Correctional

Institutions And Inmates

A basic concept of the Federal Prison system
is that the idle time of inmates should be
kept to a minimum. Inmates are to be kept
busy in several ways: working at tasks to
keep the institutions operating, such as
facility maintenance and food service; indus-
trial work programs; educational programs;
and recreation.

While some institutional tasks are essential
for operating prisons, often more inmates
than necessary are assigned, resulting in
make-work jobs and inmate idleness. Also,
these tasks do little to provide inmates use-
ful job skills.

On the other hand, participation in indus-
trial work programs provides greater oppor-
tunities for inmates to acquire job skills and
work habits important for employment in
the private sector. GAO found untapped
opportunities to expand program partic-
ipation.

Doing so could reduce the problem of over-
assignment to institutional tasks and tax-
payers would be spared some of the burden
of prison costs. The report contains several
recommendations for bringing this about.

1 18825

GAO/GGD-82-37
oCctou$ JUNE 29,1982