The workers learn skills they can use on the outside. And for many, the factory floor offers a more personal reward. Some corrections officers treat you all right, but a lot of them think you're doing something wrong. These guys don't think that way. They're more business types, so it's like being on the street again.
Workers also spend their savings on new shoes, toiletries and tuition.
They are paid by the piece. The more they make, the more they earn, although a federal law requires Array to pay at least the prevailing wage. And if the percentage of defects falls below the industry average of 3 percent, the workers are given credit to buy Prison Blues products. Even the smallest of incentives, ones that would be taken for granted on the outside, can be surprisingly effective. In the first quarter of 2000, when the percentage of defects first fell below the industry average, Mr. Borchert bought pizza for the entire floor.