North Carolina Department of Correction news release

Work squads provide 1.6 million hours of free labor to NC communities

JANUARY 20, 1998

North Carolina communities received 1.6 million hours of free labor from state prisoners working in the Governor’s Community Work Program in 1997. At minimum wage of $4.75 per hour that labor would have cost local governments and public agencies $8,068,848.

Under the inmate work program, a correctional officer supervises a squad of up to ten minimum security prisoners in short term, manual labor jobs for public agencies. The inmate crews perform a variety of tasks including clearing brush, picking up litter, landscaping and painting.

"The Governor’s Community Work program benefits everyone," Correction Secretary Mack Jarvis said. "It’s helped the prison system develop new jobs for prisoners. It’s provided communities with free manual labor. And it’s allowed prisoners to give something back to the community."

The program started at Greene Correctional Center in 1994 and has spread to more prisons each year. At the end of 1997, there were 124 community work squads at 43 North Carolina prisons. Each workday, more than 1,100 prisoners are assigned to the community work squads.

In 1997, the community work program was added at Black Mountain Correctional Center for Women, Charlotte Correctional Center, Dan River Prison Work Farm, Guilford Correctional Center, Hyde Correctional Center, McCain Correctional Hospital, Scotland Correctional Center and Yadkin Correctional Center.

Three prisons’s squads worked more than 100,000 hours during 1997. The prisoners worked 143,672 hours at Greene Correctional Center, 124,596 hours at Dan River Prison Work Farm and 101,728 hours at Sanford Correctional Center.

"The Community Work program has allowed the town to stretch taxpayer dollars and complete projects at a lower cost," said Mayor Joan Altman of Long Beach. "Long Beach is a resort community and we have a lot of recreation areas. The inmate workers have been invaluable in keeping these areas maintained and in excellent condition."

"We depend on the services provided by the Dan River Prison Work Farm," said Joel Davis, the Caswell County Recreation Director. "They offer labor we otherwise wouldn’t have,"

"Through the work program inmates have an opportunity to integrate themselves back into the community and pay their debt to society," said Dean Walker, superintendent of Marion Correctional Institution. "Community leaders appreciate the great amount of work the inmate crews can do for them and the way our staff makes sure projects are done right."

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Community Work Program Hours Worked In 1997

$8 Million in Free Labor Provided NC Communities

1,698,705 hours worked X $4.75 minimum wage = $8,068,848

The minimum wage for most of 1997 was $4.75. The rate increased September 1, 1997 to $5.15. At the higher rate, the inmate labor would be valued at $8,748,330.