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S 2622Police & Prisons

State Affairs and Government - Corrections Department

This bill raises the maximum daily pay for inmate labor at correctional institutions from three dollars to five dollars.

Held for study
Population
Affected
8
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 13, 2026Committee Senate Labor & Gaming

Plain-English Summary

This legislation increases the maximum daily wage that inmates at the Adult Correctional Institutions can earn for their labor. Currently, the limit is set at three dollars per day. This bill raises that limit to five dollars per day. The work is performed at the discretion of the director of the department. Earnings are credited to the prisoner's account, with a portion saved for their release and the ability to use funds for court fees remaining in place.

For younger readers

When people are in prison, they are sometimes allowed to do jobs to earn a little bit of money. Right now, the most money they are allowed to get paid for a whole day of work is three dollars. This new rule changes that amount so they can get paid up to five dollars for a day of work. The prison keeps this money safe for them in a special account so they can use it when they are allowed to leave prison or to pay for legal papers.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Incarcerated individualsDepartment of Corrections staffFamilies of incarcerated individualsTaxpayers
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Provides a modest increase in financial compensation for incarcerated individuals, allowing them to accumulate slightly more savings to support their reentry into society.
  • Acknowledges the value of labor performed by prisoners by raising the wage cap, which has historically been stagnant and extremely low.
  • May help reduce the financial burden on the families of incarcerated individuals if the prisoners are better able to afford commissary items or court fees through their own earnings.
  • The maximum wage of five dollars a day remains an exploitative rate that is far below the minimum wage, perpetuating a system that devalues the labor of incarcerated people.
  • The language allows the wage increase to be at the "discretion of the director," meaning there is no guarantee that prisoners will actually receive the higher amount.
  • Fails to address the broader systemic issue of the prison-industrial complex relying on cheap, captive labor rather than providing meaningful rehabilitation or fair market wages.
For Conservatives
  • Encourages a strong work ethic and personal responsibility among inmates by providing a slightly higher financial incentive to engage in productive labor.
  • Enables inmates to take more responsibility for their own legal expenses and court fees, potentially reducing the administrative costs borne by the state court system.
  • Helps inmates build their own financial safety net for release, which aligns with the goal of reducing reliance on state welfare programs upon reentry.
  • Increases state spending by using taxpayer dollars to pay higher wages to convicted criminals, which could be viewed as an unnecessary use of public funds.
  • Could be perceived as being "soft on crime" by improving the conditions and benefits for those who have broken the law.
  • Diverts financial resources that could otherwise be used for prison security, victim restitution, or law enforcement needs.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 3 additions · 1 deletion

SECTION 1. Section 42-56-22 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-56 entitled "Corrections Department" is hereby amended to read as follows: 42-56-22. Labor by persons committed on mesne process or to answer criminal charge.

(a) Every person who shall be committed to the adult correctional institutions to answer for any criminal offense, whether convicted or awaiting trial, or on mesne process in any qui tam or penal action, or on mesne process or execution in any civil action, may be permitted to labor in the discretion of the director, or the director’s designee, for the state, and in that case may be paid not more than three dollars ($3.00) five dollars ($5.00) a day for every day the person shall labor with the express consent of the director, or the director’s designee, of the department, to be credited to the prisoner’s account by the assistant director of administration, or the assistant director’s designee, and to be disbursed to the prisoner in accordance with the rules and regulations of the institutions; provided, further, however, there shall be maintained on account at all times at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the earnings of each prisoner up to a maximum of one hundred dollars ($100) for those persons serving a sentence of life imprisonment without parole under §§ 11-23-2, 12-19.2-1 et seq., and up to a maximum of two thousand dollars ($2,000) for all other prisoners; those funds to be turned over to the prisoner at the time of the prisoner’s release from the institution, the funds being the prisoner’s property; the moneys to be paid to the prisoner by order of the assistant director of management services upon the general treasurer.

(b) Nothing contained in this section shall prevent the use of the funds in the account for the payment of any court fees and court costs required to be paid for the filing, prosecution, and defense of any action.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.