Alabama Could Have New Minimum Wage Workers

Alabama’s legislature is considering a bill to expand the use of prisoners as employees for private businesses. The surprising move would give the prisoner a minimum wage job for manufacturing operations within the prison walls. The inmates would receive this wage less a certain percentage for room and board, according to The Birmingham News.

Kansas has a similar agreement were the prisoner loses 25% of the funds for room and board.

What a great compromise. At least the prisoners are not getting exploited and receiving somewhat of a fair wage, plus, they have to pay for rent, similar to the outside world. There does need to be a way to make sure the companies get the money in the prisoners’ hands and not through an intermediary, like the state corrections agency, just to make sure all the money goes to the right people.

It sounds like Alabama, however, will not give most of the money to the inmate, but keep it for the state.

“The majority of prisoners' wages would go not to the inmates, but to the Department of Corrections or to restitution funds,” was written in the article.

While, yes, restitution funds are a good idea, it should be up to the inmate to send the money to whomever he/she wishes. If the money would be better spent by the inmate, to help his/her family, then the prisoner should be allowed to send the money there instead.

Alabama has followed Kansas’ path, but it should look to why the idea works. It gives the prisoner a chance to make decisions for him/herself, and better prepare the person for life outside the prison walls. By taking all choices for the inmate away, the legislation will only help prison businesses make a quicker buck.