Jobs & Hustles
Jobs and hustles inside prison take on a variety of forms. In terms of official employment, incarcerated people often perform much of the work required to run a prison. A wide range of jobs exists behind bars, including janitorial or food services, agricultural labor, office work and more. The national compensation average is between 13 and 52 cents per hour, according to the ACLU. Seven states — Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas — do not pay incarcerated people for the majority of available jobs. Many incarcerated people also support themselves with side-hustles or unofficial roles within the prison bartering economy. The stories in this section shed light on prison jobs and the other ways people earn currency while behind bars.
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