Prison
Labor in Illinois
Prison inmates became a productive labor force in the late 1700s . Previous to that time, inmates worked to keep busy rather than to produce a valuable product. In 1858 , Illinois opened its first state-run prison. This new prison located in Joliet employed a warden, who contracted with firms for a specified number of inmates to work at factories in the local community. In addition, the prison allowed entrepreneurs to establish privately run factories within the prison walls. The fees generated for use of inmate labor were used to support prison operations. Within six years of Joliet's opening, the prison was self supporting. Prison labor began reform in 1904 as a result of unfair labor practices. Manufacturers located near a prison exploited cheap inmate labor. Low-cost labor gave these employers a tremendous advantage over competition. In 1904, the contracting out of prison labor was abandoned for state operation of prison factories. From this beginning until 1975, the warden of each prison was responsible for his own manufacturing or farm operation. By 1931, the reform movement was nearing its completion. An Illinois law was enacted to prevent Illinois prison industries from providing labor or products to the open market. This act was followed by a "state-use" law, which encouraged state agencies and nonprofit organizations to purchase products and services from prison industries before making purchases through the open market. Prison industries saw little expansion or change until the 1970s. In 1976, the prison industry program officially became "Illinois Correctional Industries." Before the change, industry programs had been run within individual correctional facilities under the authority of the warden. Now, all aspects of the program are controlled by the central industries office. These changes allowed Correctional Industries to utilize their resources more effectively. This central management has produced a steady growth of the program over the last two decades.
