Pre COVID a company let a bunch, I think it was nearly 100, regular employees in our geographic area go when their prison industries plant opened.
I'm all for the inmates being allowed (not forced) to work for real money.
But the company let people go with insurance, fair wages, etc to hire inmate labor at minimum wage (federal) with no health care, etc. The prison system takes money out for victim restitution, room and board, and child support (if applicable) leaving inmates with less than $50 to send home or buy canteen. They gross almost 400 every two weeks, and keep $50. Many of these inmates are destitute with no family, so $50 is a lot of money to them.
I refused to purchase the product they make because of this.
Recently I found out how much they were actually “bringing home” and was astounded. The work is hard and dangerous. It is NOT a minimum wage job for people not in prison. I guess I shouldn't be shocked with how the prison system pays its employees. But I assumed the company running prison industry would be better than that.