People in prison will be paid as little as $1 per hour to work on the state’s road to free up maintenance crews to fix Victoria’s potholes under a plan the state government will take to the upcoming election.
Premier Ben Carroll last month announced a Corrections Victoria pilot program that will see supervised, minimum-security incarcerated people performing roadside maintenance.
This work will include lawn mowing, controlling weeds, removing graffiti and picking up rubbish, and the state government said it will free up “skilled roadside maintenance crews” to focus on repairing potholes.
“A re-elected Carroll Labor government will deliver a comprehensive plan to improve the quality and condition of Victoria’s roads,” a Victorian government spokesperson told About Time.
“As part of that plan, Corrections Victoria will pilot a program involving supervised, minimum-security prisoners in basic roadside maintenance.”
In the United States, similar schemes allow people in prison to get time cut from their sentence for performing this work.
But About Time understands Victoria’s plan does not include a provision for reduced sentences, and will see incarcerated people paid under the current wage schemes in prisons.
These wages range from $7.15 to $9.80 per day, far below the minimum wage in the community.
This means that incarcerated people working on Victoria’s roads will be paid as little as 90c per hour.
Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) CEO Nerita Waight said that people in prison should be paid comparably to members of the general public for this work.
“Having people who are incarcerated working to fix Victorian roads is a reasonable idea, as long as they receive recognition of work undertaken and are equitably paid – this is why we have a national minimum wage which should be implemented across all Corrections facilities,” Waight told About Time.
“Simply because someone is incarcerated shouldn’t mean they are required to work for well below the minimum wage. In Victorian prisons at present, sometimes incarcerated workers earn less a day than we pay for a cup of coffee.”
Tina McPhee was in a women’s prison work crew when she was incarcerated, and worked on a scenic bikeway. She worked eight hours per day, five days a week, and treasured the time outside of the prison walls.
“Escaping both the madness and mundaneness of prison life was something I desperately needed and became fiercely protective of,” McPhee told About Time.
“I didn’t want to do anything that might jeopardise my place on that crew.”
But the work was hard and had a lasting impact on McPhee and the other women, who were paid just $50 per week.
At just $1.25 per hour, the women were paid a fraction of the minimum wage, which is more than $26 per hour.
They also did not have the same workplace protections as someone in the community working on the same project would have, and were not paid superannuation.
“Labouring on a scenic bike track taught me that finding value in the opportunity does not mean the working conditions were fair, or that the program was ethical,” McPhee said.
That’s why McPhee said she has mixed feelings about the Victorian government’s recently announced plan to get people in prison to work on the state’s road.
“Getting outside the prison can be enormously positive – I know how much those hours away meant to me,” she said.
“But the value I found in leaving the prison shouldn’t be conflated with the value placed on our labour.”
This type of work is also very physically demanding and can have a lasting impact, McPhee said.
She said that while working on the bikeway, the women were using decommissioned equipment and harnesses that were designed for men.
“There were physical costs that some of us will never recover from,” McPhee said.
“No wonder the women I worked alongside to left with hand and shoulder problems, and I experienced similar chronic injuries myself.”
“When you are incarcerated, there is a significant power imbalance in your capacity to question how work is being organised, particularly when you are fiercely protective of the opportunity to leave the prison each day.”
People in prison conducting work are not eligible for WorkCover compensation if they are injured and do not receive superannuation.
Those incarcerated in minimum-security facilities in Victoria are already able to do some work in the community through the Landmate program.
This involves crews of up to nine inmates completing environmental projects in regional Victoria, such as cleaning roadside reserves and recovery works after natural disasters.
“Prison work programs across Victoria are a valued and necessary aspect to support people’s transition back into community,” Waight said.
“To do this effectively, programs should recognise the work undertaken through earning qualifications alongside fair and appropriate pay.”
Tina McPhee was in a women’s prison work crew when she was incarcerated, and worked on a scenic bikeway. She worked eight hours per day, five days a week, and treasured the time outside of the prison walls.
“Escaping both the madness and mundaneness of prison life was something I desperately needed and became fiercely protective of,” McPhee told About Time.
“I didn’t want to do anything that might jeopardise my place on that crew.”
But the work was hard and had a lasting impact on McPhee and the other women, who were paid just $50 per week.
At just $1.25 per hour, the women were paid a fraction of the minimum wage, which is more than $26 per hour.
They also did not have the same workplace protections as someone in the community working on the same project would have, and were not paid superannuation.
“Labouring on a scenic bike track taught me that finding value in the opportunity does not mean the working conditions were fair, or that the program was ethical,” McPhee said.
That’s why McPhee said she has mixed feelings about the Victorian government’s recently announced plan to get people in prison to work on the state’s road.
“Getting outside the prison can be enormously positive – I know how much those hours away meant to me,” she said.
“But the value I found in leaving the prison shouldn’t be conflated with the value placed on our labour.”
This type of work is also very physically demanding and can have a lasting impact, McPhee said.
She said that while working on the bikeway, the women were using decommissioned equipment and harnesses that were designed for men.
“There were physical costs that some of us will never recover from,” McPhee said.
“No wonder the women I worked alongside to left with hand and shoulder problems, and I experienced similar chronic injuries myself.”
“When you are incarcerated, there is a significant power imbalance in your capacity to question how work is being organised, particularly when you are fiercely protective of the opportunity to leave the prison each day.”
People in prison conducting work are not eligible for WorkCover compensation if they are injured and do not receive superannuation.
Those incarcerated in minimum-security facilities in Victoria are already able to do some work in the community through the Landmate program.
This involves crews of up to nine inmates completing environmental projects in regional Victoria, such as cleaning roadside reserves and recovery works after natural disasters.
“Prison work programs across Victoria are a valued and necessary aspect to support people’s transition back into community,” Waight said.
“To do this effectively, programs should recognise the work undertaken through earning qualifications alongside fair and appropriate pay.”
