The Indiana Department of Corrections has profit-making cover business called Indiana Correctional Industries (ICI, previously Prison Enterprise Network or PEN). With ICI, the accounting of funds, profits and budgets are hidden from the state’s budget allocation of funds. In as much, profits from leasing prison spaces to private businesses, from leasing incarcerated laborers, or from selling prison-made goods are hidden during budgetary money allocation schedules I.C. 11-10-7, and 11-10-8 reveals that cash assets in excess of $1,500,000 go to a “special” or “disposable” fund. ICI earns so much in profits it exceeds $1,500,000 annually in cash assets. ICI takes legal cover as a state agency from incarcerated suits and as a private business entity from all others. ICI exploits the incarcerated in IDOC jurisdictions, as the profit-making extension of IDOC.
Federal law mandates certain laws and rules for private business using prison labor to manufacture or package goods sold on open markets. Without such rules, unfair trade would be occurring for businesses who use cheap or free incarcerated labor. ICI currently has joint-business operations that do not adhere to these laws. Neither are laws requiring comparable wages paid to the incarcerated being adhered to (I.C. 11-10-7, 11-10-8, and US section 18 1671-1672).
Recently, a private California business lost a partnership with a sponsor, Tyra Banks, because of its association with using incarcerated labor. Any private business in Indiana using incarcerated labor, demands that ICI pays its laborers minimum wages or higher (“comparable wages”) as dictated in law and policy. IDOC had the state legislature create exemptions disallowing any incarcerated person from making a wage claim. Again, these acts further impact the marginal populations, in this case, female incarcerated laborers. Male ICI workers and joint business partnership are paid minimum wages. No female ICI joint business partnerships pay female workers equally. Exposing the guilty companies and management will be the only way the female voice can be heard.
Pay female incarcerated workers fair and equal pay. Turning a blind-eye is unacceptable!
-Anonymous