Full list of states that use prison labor in government buildings?

June 7, 2017 11:03 AM

This was brought up recently in regards to the Arkansas governor's mansion, that they use a lot of prison labor. This also appears to be true regarding Louisiana (both the Governor's mansion and the Capitol building) and Missouri. I was wondering if there's somewhere I can find a full list of this sort of thing.
posted by RobotHero to Law & Government (6 answers total)

Not sure if this is one degree too far for you, but California Prison Industries supplies a lot of furniture for government offices. They also make the CHP flags, prison clothing, food service equipment, and gun cases for law enforcement.
posted by stillmoving at 11:22 AM on June 7, 2017

Yes, above. California also uses prison labor in fire camps.
posted by Duffington at 11:25 AM on June 7, 2017

Response by poster: I think it is important for what I'm looking for the closer the connection between the prisoners and elected representatives. That prisoners are cleaning their offices, serving them coffee, etc.
posted by RobotHero at 12:46 PM on June 7, 2017

double post
posted by TWinbrook8 at 9:12 PM on June 7, 2017

I can't link to it but on page 25 of "White House Diary" by Jimmy Carter, he writes about a woman falsely accused of murder, sentenced to life in prison. "As a prison trustee, she served our family in the Governor's mansion beginning when Amy was three years old." Her conviction was later overturned.

So "prison trustee" might be the term to search for.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 9:42 PM on June 7, 2017

Mississippi ended the practice in 2012. Longer article here. Several Southern states have used inmates in their governors' mansions in the past. But Anthony Travisono, executive director of the American Correctional Assn., says he doubts that more than a few governors use convicted murderers as servaNets today
posted by TWinbrook8 at 9:49 PM on June 7, 2017