The Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program (PIECP) exempts certified state and local departments of corrections from normal restrictions on the sale of inmate-made goods in interstate commerce. In addition, the program lifts restrictions on these certified corrections departments, permitting them to sell inmate-made goods to the federal government in amounts exceeding the $10,000 maximum normally imposed on such transactions.

PIECP was created by Congress in 1979 to encourage states and units of local government to establish employment opportunities for inmates that approximate private-sector work opportunities. The program is designed to place inmates in a realistic work environment, pay them the prevailing local wage for similar work, and enable them to acquire marketable skills to increase their potential for successful rehabilitation and meaningful employment upon release.

03/04 NCJ 203483