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glatt · 09-09-2009, 10:14 AM

Prisoners are paid far less than minimum wage, which creates an unfair playing field. Small business owners hate competing with prison labor. They consider it to be unfair competition. If you own a wood working shop and pay your employees $10/hr to make furniture, how are you going to compete with a prison shop that only pays its workers $0.25/hr? Your bar stool will cost $75 and you will have $5 profit, while the prison can sell its bar stool for $40 and have $30 profit. (Numbers pulled out of my ass to illustrate a point.)

09-09-2009, 10:14 AM	#113
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Prisoners are paid far less than minimum wage, which creates an unfair playing field. Small business owners hate competing with prison labor. They consider it to be unfair competition. If you own a wood working shop and pay your employees $10/hr to make furniture, how are you going to compete with a prison shop that only pays its workers $0.25/hr? Your bar stool will cost $75 and you will have $5 profit, while the prison can sell its bar stool for $40 and have $30 profit. (Numbers pulled out of my ass to illustrate a point.)