Minimum wage for all inmates and residents of state correctional institutions and county jails or houses of correction and making an appropriation. (FE)

The bill provides that all inmates and residents that perform labor must be paid a wage, and in addition to the standards under current law, provides that no inmate or resident of a state correctional institution may be paid a wage that is less than the rate for tipped workers, which is currently $2.33 per hour. The bill removes the provision that wages may not be set at a rate that would cause a deficit on operations.

The bill increases all wages established by the Prison Industries Board for payment to inmates employed by BCE by $2.33 on the effective date of the bill.

The bill provides that any prisoner in a county jail or county work camp must be paid a wage that is not less than the rate for tipped workers, which is currently $2.33 per hour.

The bill also provides to DOC $58,933,600 in fiscal year 2023-24 and $88,400,400 in fiscal year 2024-25 to pay the wages of inmates in state correctional institutions and $873,300 in fiscal year 2023-24 and $1,310,000 in fiscal year 2024-25 to pay the wages of inmates engaged in labor under BCE.