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Should NH pay prisoners minimum wage for required work?

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New Hampshire state prisons require that able-bodied inmates work a minimum of five days per week, unless attending school full-time. Jobs can include working in the prison kitchen or laundry, doing general maintenance, or more skilled work such as print making, furniture refinishing, woodworking or sign making.

Inmate pay can vary, but starts at $1.50 per day and peaks at $3.50 per day for skilled work by more experienced prisoners. Prisoners are not paid in cash, but in credit which they can use to purchase personal hygiene items or to shop in the prison canteen. Prisoners may also opt to have some of their pay sent home to a family member.

Critics argue that paying prisoners less than minimum wage for their labor constitutes exploitation or a form of virtual slavery. They argue that it also deprives inmates’ families of much-needed income and can create unfair competition conditions with other businesses that do not use prison labor.

However, supporters of current pay rates counter that taxpayers are already footing the bill for prisoners’ food and housing. They note that prison work programs also teach inmates valuable skills and increase their chances of finding a good job after release.

There is no current legislative effort underway to change inmate pay rates in New Hampshire.

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