Budget Amendment ID: FY2022-S3-672

EPS 672

Commission on Wages Paid to Prisoners

Ms. Creem moved that the proposed new text be amended by inserting the following new section:-

SECTION : There is hereby established a commission to study and report on increasing wages paid to prisoners for any work in prison industries, farm services, or any institutional work assignment.  The commission report shall include, but not be limited to, an analysis of increasing wages to at least the minimum wage, any fiscal and budgetary impacts of increasing wages paid to prisoners, a comparison of wages paid to prisoners in similar programs in other states, any reported impacts on recidivism rates due to the payment of increased wages in other states, any economic benefits to participating prisoners and their families while in prison and upon release, and any workplace health and safety issues.  The commission report shall also provide a detailed analysis of the current prisoner work programs in Massachusetts including, but not limited to, current participation rates, current wages paid, current annual net profits and the allocation of such net profits to support prison programming.

The commission shall conduct not less than two public hearings and shall be chaired by the Senate and House Chairs of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security and shall include the executive director of Prisoners Legal Services or a designee, a representative from the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health, the executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts or a designee, the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Sheriffs Association or a designee, and the Commissioner of Corrections or a designee.

The commission shall file its report and any recommendations with the House Committee on Ways and Means, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Clerk of the Senate not later than December 31, 2021.