A hand-braided black, white and red bridle with tassels and glass rosettes was one of my dad’s favorite antiques, both for its artistry and its history. Sometime in the early 20th century, an inmate in a Colorado penitentiary in Cañon City worked strands of stiff horsehair into a work of art.
Like the hand-tooled spurs and saddles in my dad’s collection, all made by inmates, the bridle embodied pride of workmanship and sense of purpose.
The same pride of workmanship is exemplified in the products and services provided by the 1,800 men and women who currently work in Colorado Correctional Industries (CCi) programs. In addition to saddles, inmates now make everything from fly rods to motorcycles to mattresses. They train service dogs and wild horses, farm fish and dairy, and produce honey, among other agricultural products.
Participants earn job skills, college credits, and a small paycheck. They also gain the self-respect and satisfaction that comes from hard work. Not surprisingly, inmates who participate in CCi programs are more prepared to enter the workforce after release and less likely to reoffend and return to prison.
CCi is self-supporting and does not require taxpayer funding to operate. Since work programs reduce recidivism, they actually save taxpayers money. More importantly, the work programs save the lives of those who seek a second chance. To even be eligible for work in one of the 60 CCi programs, inmates must earn a GED and maintain good behavior for six months prior to employment and once they get into the program.
This is a win-win for everyone. After all, the purpose of incarceration isn’t just punishment and separation from society; prisons should also emphasize rehabilitation that enables successful reintegration into society.
In light of the promise of productive work, it is deeply disappointing that Whole Foods has decided to no longer purchase fish or goat cheese produced by companies that work with CCi. Whole Foods made the decision after a protest at one of its Houston stores and upon hearing that some customers are “uncomfortable” with inmate-sourced products.
Inmates, all of whom volunteer for the programs, earn 74 cents to $4 a day, plus performance bonuses. The comparatively cheaper labor provides an incentive for companies to work in prisons. Working with incarcerated employees requires additional logistical, supervisory, and security costs and responsibilities. If companies had to pay minimum wage, it is unlikely they would work with prisoners.
Centuries ago, philosopher and political economist Adam Smith noted, “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.” It is through their self interest in reducing labor costs that companies are able to provide a public service by employing prisoners.
While faith-based groups like Prison Fellowship and Belay Enterprises minister to prisoners and ex-offenders through mentoring and re-entry programs, they are not in the business of providing jobs to men and women while they are in prison. The private sector is uniquely poised to do what neither government nor philanthropy can provide.
Across the United States, 63,032 inmates produce more than $2 billion worth of products yearly. Most of the products, typically license plates and office furniture, are sold to the government. By working with private industry, prisons can greatly expand the types of jobs available to prisoners. What CCi is doing is a model to be embraced by other state prisons and private companies.
Whole Foods should reconsider its decision to reject prisoner produced goods. It is better to lose the business of a handful of uncomfortable shoppers and protesters than to turn its back on hard-working inmates trying to turn their lives around.
Krista Kafer (tokrista@msn.com) is co-host of “Kelley and Kafer” airing 1 to 4 p.m on 710 KNUS.
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit or check out our for how to submit by e-mail or mail.
