A prison farm (also known as a penal farm) is a large correctional facility where penal labor convicts worklegally or illegallyon a farm (in the wide sense of a productive unit), usually for manual labor, largely in the open air, such as in agriculture, logging, quarrying, and mining. In the United States, such forced labor is made legal by the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution; however, some other parts of the world have made penal labor illegal. The concepts of prison farm and labor camp overlap, with the idea that the prisoners are forced to work. The historical equivalent on a very large scale was called a penal colony.
The agricultural goods produced by prison farms are generally used primarily to feed the prisoners themselves and other wards of the state (residents of orphanages, asylums, etc.), and secondarily, to be sold for whatever profit the state may be able to obtain.
In addition to being forced to labor directly for the government on a prison farm or in a penal colony, inmates may be forced to do farm work for private enterprises by being farmed out through the practice of convict leasing to work on private agricultural lands or related industries (fishing, lumbering, etc.). The party purchasing their labor from the government generally does so at a steep discount from the market labor cost.
Louisiana State Penitentiary is the largest prison farm covering ; it is bordered on three sides by the Mississippi River.
Canada had six federal prison farms, which were closed in 2010. In 2019, two of the farms have been gradually reopened.
Convict leasing
Convict leasing was a system of penal labor that was primarily practiced in the Southern United States, widely involved the use of African-American men, and was prominently used after the American Civil War. In this system, southern states leased prisoners to large plantations and private mines or railways. This system led to the states earning a profit, while the prisoners earned no pay and faced dangerous working conditions.
The 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibited the use of slavery and involuntary servitude but explicitly exempts those who have been convicted of a crime. In response to this, the southern state legislatures implemented "Black Codes", which were laws that explicitly applied to African-Americans and subjected them to criminal prosecution for minor offenses like breaking curfew, loitering, and not carrying proof of employment. These new laws led to more prisoners for the penal system that could all be leased by the state so that it can use their labor for profit. Widespread convict leasing ended by World War II, but the loopholes in the 13th Amendment still permit the use of prisoners to work without pay.
Other work programs Convicts may also be leased for non-agricultural work, either directly to state entities, or to private industry. For example, prisoners may make license plates under contract to the state department of motor vehicles, work in textile or other state-run factories, or may perform data processing for outside firms. Other types of work include food service or groundskeeping. These laborers are typically considered to be a part of prison industries and not prison farms.
In the United States (partial list)
State Facility Type of work Alabama Draper Correctional Facility Farming Alabama G.K. Fountain Correctional Facility Cattle and Agricultural Operations, and Vegetable Gardens Alabama Limestone Correctional Facility Cattle and Farming Alaska Point MacKenzie Correctional Farm Hogs, Cattle, Turkeys, and Chickens, Produce Operations, and Hydroponics Program Arkansas Cummins Unit Horse and Agricultural Operations Cummins Unit. (2011). Retrieved June 9,2015 Arkansas East Arkansas Regional Unit Farming East Arkansas Regional Unit. (2011). Retrieved June 9,2015 Arkansas Grimes Unit Agricultural Gardening Program Grimes Unit. (2011). Retrieved June 9,2015 Arkansas North Central Unit Garden and Forage Production North Central Unit. (2011). Retrieved June 9,2015 Arkansas Ouachita River Unit Livestock and Forage Production, Gravel Harvesting Ouachita River Unit. (2011). Retrieved June 9,2015 Arkansas Pine Bluff Unit Horse operation Pine Bluff Unit. (2011). Retrieved June 9,2015 Arkansas Tucker Unit Agricultural Operations Tucker Unit. (2011). Retrieved June 9,2015 Arkansas Wrightsville Unit Horse Operations, Agricultural Operations Wrightsville Unit. (2011). Retrieved June 9,2015 California California State Prison, Corcoran Dairy/Milk Processing California Central California Women's Facility Farming California Valley State Prison Farming California Wasco State Prison Farming Colorado Buena Vista Correctional Complex Fish Hatchery BVCC - Buena Vista Correctional Complex | Department of Corrections. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2015 Colorado Four Mile Correctional Center Dairy, Wild Horse Inmate Program FMCC - Four Mile Correctional Center | Department of Corrections. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2015 Colorado Rifle Correctional Center Timber RCC - Rifle Correctional Center | Department of Corrections. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2015 Colorado Skyline Correctional Center Fish Hatchery, Farming, Vineyard, Goat and Water Buffalo Dairy, Mountain Sheep SCC - Skyline Correctional Center | Department of Corrections. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2015 Florida Apalachee Correctional Institution, West Unit / P.R.I.D.E. Beef Cattle, Lumber, Agricultural Florida Charlotte Correctional Institution / P.R.I.D.E. Citrus Florida Union Correctional Institution / P.R.I.D.E. Beef Cattle, Lumber Georgia Arrendale State Prison Cattle and Swine, Hay Farming Georgia Dooly State Prison Farm Services Georgia Montgomery State Prison Poultry and Egg Production Georgia Rogers State Prison Dairy, Beef Cattle, Swine, Farming Georgia Washington State Prison Farming Hawaii Halawa Correctional Facility / Hawaii Correctional Industries Farming Hawaii Waiawa Correctional Facility Farming Louisiana Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) Farming Mississippi Mississippi State Penitentiary(Parchman) / Mississippi Prison Agricultural Enterprises Farming Mississippi South Mississippi Correctional Institution / Mississippi Prison Agricultural Enterprises Farming North Carolina Roanoke River Correctional Institution (formerly Caledonia Correctional Institution/Caledonia State Prison Farm) Farming and Cannery North Carolina Dan River Prison Work Farm Farming North Carolina Tyrrell Prison Work Farm Farming Texas George Beto Unit (Beto Unit) Farming, Cow/Calf Operations, Poultry Laying Operations, Pork Processing, and Swine Farrowing etc. Texas Dolph Briscoe Unit Farming Texas James "Jay" H. Byrd Unit (Byrd Unit) Hay Production Texas Clemens Unit Beef Cattle, Farming, Swine Finishing Texas William P. Clements Unit (Clements Unit) Beef Processing Texas H. H. Coffield Unit (Coffield Unit) Farming, Cow/Calf Operations, Poultry Laying Operations, Pork Processing, Swine Farrowing etc. Texas Christina Melton Crain Unit (Crain Unit) Farming, Swine Finishing Texas Price Daniel Unit Farming Texas Memorial Unit (formerly Darrington Unit) Farming, Cow/Calf Operations, Egg Operations, and Swine Finishing Operations Texas J. Dale Wainwright Unit (formerly Eastham Unit) Cow/Calf Operations, Egg Operations, Farming, and Swine Operations Texas O.B. Ellis Unit (Ellis Unit) Cotton Gin, Cow/Calf Operations, Farming, and Swine Operations Texas W. J. "Jim" Estelle Unit (Estelle Unit) Cotton Gin, Cow/Calf Operations, Farming, and Swine Operations Texas Jim Ferguson Unit (Ferguson Unit) Farming, Bull Management, and Swine Operations Texas Glen Ray Goodman Transfer Facility Hay Production Texas Thomas Goree Unit (Goree Unit) Horse Breeding Texas Joe F. Gurney Transfer Facility (Gurney Unit) Farming, Cow/Calf Operations, Poultry Laying Operations, Pork Processing, and Swine Farrowing etc. Texas Hilltop Unit Farming, Swine Finishing Texas William P. Hobby Unit (Hobby Unit) Farming and Peach Orchard Texas Reverend C.A. Holliday Transfer Facility (Holliday Unit) Farming, Egg Operations, Swine Operations, Horse Breeding Operations, and Veterinary Services Texas Alfred D. Hughes Unit (Hughes Unit) Farming, Swine Finishing Texas Beauford H. Jester I Unit (Jester I Unit) Swine Finishing, Mechanical Shop, and Combine Shed Texas Beauford H. Jester III Unit (Jester III Unit) Swine Finishing, Mechanical Shop, and Combine Shed Texas Clyde M. Johnston Unit Hay Production Texas O.L. Luther Unit Cow/Calf Operations, Farming, Swine Operations, and Buffalo Ranch Texas Mark W. Michael Unit (Michael Unit) Farming, Cow/Calf Operations, Poultry Laying Operations, Pork Processing, and Swine Farrowing etc. Texas Mountain View Unit Farming, Swine Finishing Texas Dr. Lane Murray Unit (Murray Unit) Farming, Swine Finishing Texas Nathaniel J. Neal Unit Beef Processing Texas Wallace Pack Unit (Pack Unit) Cow/Calf Operations, Farming, Swine Operations, and Buffalo Ranch Texas Allan B. Polunsky Unit (Polunsky unit) Tree Farm Texas Louis C. Powledge Unit (Powledge Unit) Farming, Cow/Calf Operations, Poultry Laying Operations, Pork Processing, and Swine Farrowing etc. Texas W. F. Ramsey Unit (Ramsey Unit) Farming, Cow/Calf Operations, Cotton Gin, Farm Shop, Vegetable Cannery, Grain Storage, Swine Operations, and Alfalfa Dehydrator Texas Retrieve (later Wayne Scott) Unit (Scott Unit) Cow/Calf Operations, Egg Operations, Swine Operations, Farming, Farm Shop, and Grain Storage Texas A.M. "Mac" Stringfellow Unit (Stringfellow Unit) Farming, Cow/Calf Operations, Cotton Gin, Farm Shop, Vegetable Cannery, Grain Storage, Swine Operations, and Alfalfa Dehydrator Texas Barry B. Telford Unit (Telford Unit) Cow/Calf Operations and Farming Texas C.T. Terrell Unit (Terrell Unit) Farming, Cow/Calf Operations, Cotton Gin, Farm Shop, Vegetable Cannery, Grain Storage, Swine Operations, and Alfalfa Dehydrator Texas Carol S. Vance Unit (Vance Unit) Swine Finishing, Mechanical Shop, and Combine Shed Texas Daniel Webster Wallace Unit Hay Production Texas John M. Wynne Unit (Wynne Unit) Farming, Egg Operations, Swine Operations, Horse Breeding Operations, and Veterinary Services
Canadian Prison Farm System Canada has a long history of prison farms dating back to the first penitentiary in the 1890s, but in 2010, the federal Conservative government shut down its six federal prison farms. At this point, the prison farm program was under CORCAN, Correctional Service Canada's job and rehabilitation program, and the government argued that the skills that prison farms had been giving people in prison were outdated, and that prison labor should focus on work related to more modern skills. They also argued that the farms were losing money, which would later be debated.
The debate as to whether or not the farms should reopen continued, particularly through a group called Save our Prison Farms (SOPF) who, according to their website, advocated for saving the prison farms because of 1) public safety, 2) health and rehabilitation, 3) saving taxpayers money, 4) sustainable local farm and food systems, and 5) a model of Canadian values and heritage.
In 2018, however, the federal Liberal government announced the re-opening of the Penitentiary Farm Program with a budget of $4.3 million for the two farms in Kingston, Ontario to return. The prison farms at Joyceville Institution and Collins Bay Institution are now open and working.
Legal framework The 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which ended slavery, specifically carved out the concept of penal servitude (i.e., forced and unpaid labor as a punishment for a crime). This exemption only affected those who have been convicted of crimes, not those who were still awaiting trial.