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| State Supreme Court bars prison work plan |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 05/17/2004 |
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The state Supreme Court yesterday threw out Washington's "free venture" prison labor program, holding that it is unconstitutional to essentially sell inmate labor to private enterprise. The court, in an unusual 5-4 ruling, overturned its own 2003 ruling, following a rehearing that turned up extensive historical information and scholarship about prison labor practices at the time the state constitution was drafted in the late 1800s. The ruling eliminates one of the main types of prison work opportunities. About 300 inmates are employed at job sites behind bars at Monroe, Purdy, Airway Heights and Twin Rivers prisons. The workplaces are run by private companies who contract with the state. The companies get factory space, free or inexpensive utilities, and a break on wages and benefits. Inmates learn a marketable skill and earn money that helps pay for their upkeep and for restitution. "This ruling is very disappointing," said state prison chief Joe Lehman. "This was an opportunity for inmates to work in real-world jobs, to find skills, to pay support to their families, to pay for restitution, to pay for room and board." He said the state will lose about $600,000 annually from room-and-board payments from the inmates, and that crime victims stand to lose $150,000 in restitution. |
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