page_title: Federal Prison Industries
section_title: Activities
hierarchical_section_title: Federal Prison Industries / Activities
caption_attribution_description: English: Prisoners work in a UNICOR (Federal Prison Industries - UNICOR is the trade name) program producing military uniforms. UNICOR logo is visible in the background.
context_page_description: Federal Prison Industries, Inc., doing business as UNICOR since 1977, is a wholly owned United States government corporation created in 1934 as a prison labor program for inmates within the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and a component of the Department of Justice. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
  Under US federal law, all physically able inmates who are not a security risk or have a health exception are required to work, either for UNICOR or at some other prison job. Inmates earn from US$0.23 per hour up to a maximum of US$1.15 per hour.
context_section_description: UNICOR operates at no cost to taxpayers, in that it receives no appropriated funds from Congress to run its operations. In fiscal year 2016, UNICOR had net losses of $18 million.
  In fiscal year 2016, approximately 17,900 inmates participated in the UNICOR program, which equates to approximately 10% of the inmate population eligible to participate in this program in BOP-managed facilities. All federally incarcerated individuals are expected to work in BOP-managed facilities. In general, those who choose to participate in UNICOR's voluntary industrial work program earn between $0.23 and $1.15 per hour.  There are exceptions, in particular the Prison Industry Enhancement Certification program, whereby inmates earn up to the prevailing wages paid for comparable work performed in the locality.
  
  Deductions are then taken for taxes, victim restitution, program costs and court-imposed legal obligations. In 2016, UNICOR generated $498 million in sales, of which 72% was used to purchase raw materials, equipment and other supplies to produce the products and services it offers for sale; 23% paid staff salaries; and 5% paid inmate workforce wages. In fiscal year 2016, FPI’s business were organized, managed, and internally reported as six operation segments based upon products and services.  These segments are Agribusiness, Clothing and Textiles, Electronics, Office Furniture, Recycling, and Services.
  As of August 2016, UNICOR operates 66 factory operations within 52 federal prisons, nationwide, offering more than 100 products and services in 80 Federal Supply Classifications (FSCs), in areas including clothing and textiles, electronics, fleet management and vehicular components, industrial products, office furniture, recycling activities; and services including data entry, computer-aided design (CAD), and distribution.
  While UNICOR's customer base consists primarily of federal government agencies, it also collaborates with private sector companies to support their subcontracting needs. It offers qualifying U.S. manufacturers domestic facilities and inmate workforce resources to repatriate their operations, with costs comparable to those of offshore production and other benefits.
  UNICOR currently produces the Interceptor body armor vest, primarily for foreign sales and international customers.
caption: Prison labor in a UNICOR program producing uniforms.
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