Chapter 5 – Adult Custody and Security Operations

53140.2 The Prison Inmate Labor Initiative of 1990

• The Prison Inmate Labor Initiative of 1990, also known as Proposition 139, mandates that inmates who are confined in State prison or county jails should work as hard as the taxpayers who provide for their upkeep, and that those inmates may be required to perform work and services in order to do all of the following:

  • Reimburse the State of California or counties for a portion of the costs associated with their incarceration.

  • Provide restitution and compensation to the victims of crime.

  • Encourage and maintain safety in prison and jail operations.

  • Support their families to the extent possible.

  • Learn skills which may be used upon their return to free society.

  • Assist in their own rehabilitation in order to become responsible law abiding citizens upon their release from a State prison or a local jail.

• Priority consideration shall be given to establishing Joint Venture projects that will retain or reclaim jobs in California, support emerging California industries, or create jobs for a deficient labor market.