A typical California correctional inmate starts their day at 6 am for breakfast. If they have a daytime job, they proceed to work by 8 am. The higher-level custody inmates and the minimum (ranch) inmates get counted usually at least twice during their work shift. Then around 3pm, depending on the institution, all inmates lock up for mail call, count and dinner. Dinner waits until the institutional count is cleared. Depending on your level of custody, you may be entitled to night yard and or night day room. But by 10 pm, everyone is once again locked up for the first of four nightly counts.

Yard, also known as outdoor recreation, is a privilege. However, it is required that they be permitted to at least 10 total hours per week in at least two days per week. As each institution is run differently, and each yard can be different within the same institution, yard time can very drastically. One can only go to yard when they are not at work and it is their assigned yard time. Usually on Saturday and Sunday, only workers who have those two days off can be on the yard. Therefore, yard is an incentive because who really wants to be cooped up in a cell every day of the week?

Besides yard, what can an inmate do on a regular basis? If the inmate is religious, there may be services held or bible classes. Or there is always AA and NA once a week. If they are lucky enough, they may be able to go to the library, laundry, doctor, or canteen. But the hours of these programs are so varied and drastic that it is almost impossible to get to do them if you work 8 hours a day.

What kind of work can inmates do? The most common and majority of jobs are support services. These are the workers are the ones who clean up the units, work in the kitchen, work on the yard and are clerks to the staff. Then there are those who are in different forms of schooling. These workers are actually students who are learning English as a second language, finishing their G.E.D., or are taking a vocational trade that varies between each institution. Off all these workers, only those in the kitchen and clerks get paid up to a maximum of $48.00 per month. The most sought after positions are those in P.I.A. (Prison Industry Authority) where they work for a state agency that contracts out to other agencies. These workers can earn up to 75 cents per hour, but the average P.I.A. worker earns around 45 cents per hour or $70 per month.

By The Commissioner