Michigan prisoners have been working at the same pay rates since the
early 1970's. Michigan pays prisoners to work jobs such as
maintenance, yard work, janitorial, food preparation and service,
recreation, various clerk positions, and more. While you might be
surprised that Michigan pays its prisoners at all, the wages range
from $0.54 to $3.34 per DAY. The average rate is around $1 per day.
You might think it unfair that prisoners are paid at all, but the MDOC
requires prisoners to pay for all cosmetics, all over the counter
medications (Tylenol, asprin, allergy meds, etc.), $5 co-pays for
medical care, $0.23 per minute for telephone calls, writing paper,
pens and postage, and more. Additionally, since recent reductions in
food portions often do not provide enough calories for people with an
active lifestyle, many prisoners purchase additional food items to
supplement their diets. This all on a salary of an average of $1 per
day.
While the cost of living has risen steadily since the early '70's and
the minimum wage has risen from $1.60 per hour in 1973 to the current
$7.35 per hour (soon to be over $9 per hour), Michigan prisoner wages
have only decreased, and much of what we now pay for used to be
provided by the state. Even most of the Industry jobs previously
available to prisoners (which saved the state money) are no longer
available. Because most prisoners cannot provide for all of their
needs at these wages, the responsibility falls on already struggling
families to help their incarcerated loved ones.
Michigan needs to raise wages for prisoners, create more industry jobs
again, or as many states do, provide the necessities and rather than
pay prisoners at all, offer good time (time off sentences) for jobs
performed.