ABSTRACT
There is across-the-board agreement among prison administrators and reformers alike that “mere warehousing of prisoners” is to be avoided at all costs. The description of inmate employment in the text accompanying the California budget is liberally garnished with reference to “meaningful work experience,” “constructive employment,” “training in work skills,” “a means for many inmates to develop financial resources for use after release.” Since the prison runs almost entirely on convict labor, there are also many highly skilled and responsible jobs filled by prisoners. By the mid-1930’s contract labor had disappeared from the scene altogether, supplanted by “prison industries.” Reports from around the country would indicate that prison administrations learn from each other in regard to the handling of inmate funds. For jail and prison administrators, the per diem collected from men and women on work furlough represents something of a windfall.
