This is a part of No Pride in Prisons’ Abolitionist demands. These demands were originally published as a book. To see a pdf of the book, click here. To buy a copy, please email info@noprideinprisons.org.nz
In the lead up to the 2014 general election, the National Government announced that it would expand its “Working Prisons” programme to all prisons across New Zealand.[1] This came after a series of previous expansions of prison work programmes throughout the National Government’s first six years in office.[2] Like previous expansions, the nation-wide expansion would require all incarcerated people, other than those who have serious addiction issues, to work 40 hours per week.[3] The rate of pay for incarcerated workers is “approved by the Minister,” according to the Corrections Act 2004.[4]
Details about the “Working Prisons” programme are currently not publicly available, although some details have leaked. According to the 2001 policy,[5] incarcerated workers have to “volunteer” to work, so as to comply with the International Labor Organization’s Forced Labour Convention. As a reward for their ‘volunteer’ work, incarcerated people receive between $0 and $1 per hour as an “incentive payment.”[6] Media have reported that in some instances incarcerated people are receiving no pay whatsoever,[7] and in others that they are receiving 20,[8] 40[9] or 60c per hour.[10]
For people involved in the “Release to Work” programme, where incarcerated workers are employed by an external organisation in the hope that they will be employed by that organisation on release, those workers receive “market wages”[11] but are required to pay for the costs of transport, tools, clothing[12] and to “pay 30 per cent of their after-tax income, up to a maximum of $250 per week, to the Department.”[13] In practice, this can leave incarcerated workers with a weekly pay of almost nothing for 40 hours of work. Nonetheless, only between 6-10% of incarcerated people take part in this higher-paying program.[14]
According to a spokesperson for Corrections, with the updated “Working Prisons” policy, “inmates cannot be compelled to work or study, but they would face penalties if they do not take part.”[15] In other words, the vast majority of ‘eligible’ incarcerated people would be coerced, under threat of punishment, to work unpaid or severely underpaid for 40 hours per week. This is nothing less than a form of contemporary penal slavery.
When people are sent away to prison, their social connections and responsibilities do not suddenly disappear. Many of those currently in prison have families, whānau, partners and children who are dependent on them for income and survival. Providing a full and fair wage to incarcerated workers means that the people who depend on those workers would not be completely abandoned. Although some incarcerated workers receive a very small amount of compensation for their labour, this does not make up for the all hours of stolen labour. All workers, whether they are incarcerated or not, deserve full and fair compensation for their work.
[1] Chris Bramwell, “Working Prisons Pledge from National,” Radio New Zealand, 10 September 2014. http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/254242/working-prisons-pledge-from-national.
[2] Isaac Davison, “All Work, No Pay in Prison Reforms,” NZ Herald, 30 January 2013. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10862240.
[3] Ibid.
[4]Corrections Act 2004 s 66(3).
[5] Department of Corrections, Inmate Employment Policy, (Wellington: Department of Corrections, 2001).
[6] Department of Corrections, Inmate Employment Policy, (Wellington: Department of Corrections, 2001), 14.
[7] Isaac Davison, “All Work, No Pay in Prison Reforms,” NZ Herald, 30 January 2013. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10862240.
[8] Simon Collins, “Prisoners Paid 20c an Hour to Pick Fruit,” NZ Herald, 28 February 2006. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10370353.
[9] Timothy Brown, “Prison Farm Work Fodder for Future,” Otago Daily Times, 29 September 2013. https://www.odt.co.nz/business/farming/prison-farm-work-fodder-future.
[10] Isaac Davison, “Left Backs National’s Plans for ‘Working Prisons’,” NZ Herald, 11 September 2014. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11322363.
[11] Department of Corrections, “Release to Work,” Department of Corrections, 6 March 2016. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/working_with_offenders/prison_sentences/employment_and_support_programmes/employment_activities/release_to_work.html.
[12] Ibid.
[13]Prisoner Skills and Employment Strategy 2009-2012, (Wellington: Department of Corrections, 2012), 18. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/676063/Prisoner-employment-strategy-09.pdf.