A case study of the non-violent inmate labor program used to supplement operating costs at the Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Oakland, California

Abstract

Shrinking budgets are forcing many DoD facilities to defer maintenance and reduce non-mission critical operations. This thesis provides a detailed presentation of the non-violent inmate labor program utilized by the Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Oakland, California to reduce routine operating costs. The inmate labor program is examined to identify costs, benefits, obstacles, and potential for future use at other DoD installations. This thesis was accomplished through interviews of individuals familiar with the FISC Oakland non-violent inmate labor program and review of documents, correspondence and literature pertaining to the program. A chronology of events was constructed, key participants identified, and quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the inmate labor program are presented. The non-violent inmate labor program at FISC Oakland operated for over five years, providing nearly eight million dollars of supplementary labor to the facility and relieving a constrained operating budget.