It’s common to see prisoners pick up trash on the side of the roads. But many cities, towns, and businesses exploit prisoners with skillsets such as HVAC repair, construction work, even plumbing and electrical engineering to avoid paying for staff. Others use prisoners to do manual labor, which the Department of Corrections said — without proof — is more likely to help them not return to prison. In reality, it helps keep taxes low, while putting people who work at risk. Below is a sortable list of all the different companies and government entities that contracted with the Department of Corrections to use prisoners between the years 2017 and 2021. Only quotes and invoices that were verified by ACI employees or businesses, themselves, are included in this database.
OSHA violations reflect violations for any worker, not just incarcerated ones.
Source: Arizona Correctional Industries; Department of Corrections, Reentry & Rehabilitation