Inmates have to be honest and tell prospective employers about their criminal records. "One might wonder," Ms. Piehl writes, "why employers who know these things about such applicants would hire them. But they do. ... The PRC provides extensive monitoring of the substance use and lifestyles of its residents. In addition, some employers report that this population shows lower turnover. ... Low turnover, reliability, and sobriety are important employment attributes and can be relatively rare in the low-wage labor market."
The Montgomery PRC offers inmates relatively small rewards to keep them working and on time - later curfews, for instance, and eventually expanded hours for visitors. "Progress to a new level [of incentive] occurs when hurdles such as retaining employment for a certain period of time are surmounted," Ms. Piehl reports. "The levels provide inmates with a series of incentives to hold on to their jobs and improve their work performance."
Inmates have to use the money they earn to pay for the program and make payments toward child support, victim restitution, court costs and fines. They also have to save money, and by the time the average offender has been released from custody, he has $600 in the bank.
