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Committee hears bill to raise daily wages for incarcerated workers from $3 to $5; motion to hold
Summary
Senate Bill 750 would increase daily wages for individuals committed to the Adult Correctional Institution from $3 to $5; supporters framed the change as rehabilitation and dignity, and the committee voted to hold the bill.
Senate Bill 750, sponsored by Senator Mack, would raise the minimum daily wage for individuals committed to the Adult Correctional Institution from $3 to $5 per day for each day the person labors. The Senate Committee on Labor and Gaming heard testimony in favor of the measure and ordered it held.
Senator Mack said incarcerated individuals have been excluded from prior minimum-wage increases and that pay for incarcerated workers should reflect work performed in correctional programs and support successful reentry. "If we want all Rhode Islanders to have real skills and real jobs, we should be working on investing in relationships and partnerships that provide Rhode Islanders incarcerated at the ACI with livable wages," she said.
Melanie Perez, testifying as a family member of someone incarcerated, urged passage on grounds of dignity and to help families cover commissary and basic needs. Testimony included that commissary prices and deductions (up to 25%) limit incarcerated people’s ability to accumulate funds; the witness said some incarcerated people earn as little as $0.50 or $1 per day.
The committee voted to hold the bill; a fiscal estimate cited in testimony (a Rhode Island Department of Corrections submission referenced by the sponsor) estimated increased costs upwards of $800,000, but the transcript indicates that implementation specifics and funding sources require further review.
