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THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON PURCHASES FROM CORRECTIONAL INDUSTRIES
The UW spent just under $7 million buying furniture made by prison labor from 2011-2016. The North Campus Expansion has already cost over $3.1 billion.
What is Corrective Industries (CI)?
CI is a public-private partnership that claims to provide “work training” for inmates, who assemble products for state agencies, local governments, and nonprofits.
What’s the Issue?
It is a coercive and unethical process
RCW 72.09.130 says that an inmate becomes ineligible for early release when they refuse to participate in a work program in which they have been placed. In addition, their other privileges, freedoms, and personal liberties are affected by work program participation.
Why does UW purchase from CI?
RCW 39.26.250 says that UW as a state university must purchase goods that have been produced by inmate work programs within DOC (Department of Corrections).
This goes against UW’s own Code of Ethics
“The Supplier shall not use coerced or forced labor, nor subject employees to inhumane or abusive treatment, in accordance with UN Global Compact…and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
UW Supplier Code of Conduct
Testimonies from WA Prisons
Troy Williams, WCC
“It’s all tied to the Thirteenth Amendment – no one wants to stand up and say, ‘Let’s make slavery legal again,’ but if you get a felony, then slavery is forced upon you. Prison is not meant to enslave people, but in here it’s exactly what they’re doing. If you don’t work, you will get a write up that jeopardizes your release date, so you’re forced to work.”
Lawrence Jenkins, SCCC
“In DOC there is no protection for prisoners against these economic and social injustices—from the exploitation of our labor, to mandatory financial deductions forever increasing debt, to monopolizing on the very basic necessities we need in order to survive cruel and inhumane conditions. Yet, incarceration is supposed to rehabilitate us? Rehabilitate us into what?”
X.W., SCCC
“You can lose good time and get infractions for refusing to work. They don’t ask you if you’d like to work somewhere, they will just tell you to. Once I was told to go work in the kitchen and was threatened with a serious infraction if I did not comply.”