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provide incarcerated individuals with opportuni ties for individualized skill building, on the job training, and compensation. Correctional indus tries work programs also offer an opportunity for incarcerated individuals to develop prosocial behaviors that will enhance their overall ability to work in the community as a returning citizen. Correctional industry programs provide prosocial work activities that reduce recidivism, idleness within facilities, provide quality work products and services for eligible customers and promote restorative justice. Policy Statement: ACA fully supports correctional industry pro grams at the federal, state and local levels. These programs are explicitly designed to facilitate the training and skill development of incarcerated individuals engaged in correctional industry endeavors, as well as to assist in the employment of these individuals post-incarceration. ACA opposes legislation that would limit or restrict legitimate work training opportunities for of fenders without offering new authority to create additional training opportunities. Correctional industry programs, using sound business practices, should: A. Develop a selection, training and on boarding work program that mirrors the private sector. B. Provide work experience and working conditions similar to the private sector regarding training and safety, ensuring applicable federal and state safety man dates are met.

compensation, and competition rates. The objective is to uphold fairness and equality within the correctional system’s operational framework. D. Promote and adhere to statutes and regulations regarding the development, manufacturing, marketing, distribution, and delivery of correctional industry products and services, ensuring that busi ness practices in an industry operated by either the public or private sector are comparable to those in the industry at large; E. Support investment of revenue to im prove and/or expand overall correctional industries operations, maintain and upgrade equipment and help support offender training programs that lead to employment upon reentry; F. Support legislation encouraging the employment of offenders during and beyond their period of correctional supervision; G. Promote collaboration with employers, labor organizations, and other relevant agencies and organizations to overcome barriers to successful reentry; H. Create a mutually supportive and collab orative environment between correctional industry programs, both public and pri vate, and the host institution; I. Acknowledge that incarcerated indi viduals are not encompassed under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and as such, are not eligible for mini mum wage claims as stipulated by the Fair Labor Standards Act and therefore cannot claim entitlement to minimum wage under the act. This exclusion applies with the exception of individuals engaged →

C. Develop policy, procedures and a

monitoring system to ensure equal opportunity and access for all eligible incarcerated individuals participation. This system should rigorously assess impartiality in classification actions, selection processes, participation levels,

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