They learn to make office furniture, janitorial supplies, beds and lockers. In the Governor's Community Work Program, correctional officers supervise minimum custody inmates in short-term, manual labor jobs for local government. The program was piloted in 1994 at Greene Correctional Center. More than 1,300 inmates from 43 state prisons now work in the program. Prisons can also contract with local governments to provide inmates to work on longer term projects.
Some counties use inmates to work in recycling projects, while others perform clerical duties.
Work release provides employment for 1,100 nearing release from prison. They work for businesses in the community developing skills and contacts that will help in getting a job after release. Money earned by the inmates helps defray the costs of their imprisonment, pays restitution to victims and helps support their family. Inmates being processed into prison, being segregated for violating rules or receiving medical care are assigned jobs as soon as they enter the regular inmate population. Many inmates lack the education and skills needed to make a living after they leave prison.