The Director of the Department of Corrections may enter into contracts with private sector entities that allow inmate labor to be provided for prison industry service work and export work that involves exportation of products. The use of inmate labor may not result in the displacement of employed workers within the local region in which work is being performed. Pursuant to this section, service work is defined as any work that includes repair, replacement of original manufactured items, packaging, sorting, recycling, labeling, or similar work that is not original equipment manufacturing. The department may negotiate the wage to be paid for inmate labor provided under prison industry service work contracts and export work contracts, and these wages may be less than the prevailing wage for work of a similar nature in the private sector. However, the Director of the Department of Corrections shall deduct the following from the gross earnings of the inmates engaged in prison industry service work in addition to any other required deductions:
(1) If restitution to a particular victim or victims has been ordered by a court of appropriate jurisdiction, then twenty percent must be used to fulfill the restitution obligation.
(2) If restitution to a particular victim or victims has not been ordered by a court of appropriate jurisdiction, or if the court-ordered restitution to a particular victim or victims has been satisfied, then twenty percent must be applied to the South Carolina Victim Compensation Fund.
(3) Thirty-five percent must be used to pay the prisoner's child support obligations pursuant to law, court order, or agreement of the prisoner. These child support monies must be disbursed to the guardian of the child or children or to appropriate clerks of court, in the case of court ordered child support, for application toward payment of child support obligations, whichever is appropriate. If there are no child support obligations, then twenty-five percent must be used by the Department of Corrections to defray the cost of the prisoner's room and board. Furthermore, if there are no child support obligations, then ten percent must be made available to the inmate during his incarceration for the purchase of incidentals pursuant to item (4). This is in addition to the ten percent used for the same purpose in item (4).
(4) Ten percent must be made available to the inmate during his incarceration for the purchase of incidentals. Any monies made available to the inmate for the purchase of incidentals also may be distributed to the person or persons of the inmate's choice.
(5) Ten percent must be held in an interest bearing escrow account for the benefit of the prisoner.
(6) The remaining balance must be used to pay federal and state taxes required by law. Any monies not used to satisfy federal and state taxes must be made available to the inmate for the purchase of incidentals pursuant to item (4).
HISTORY: 2007 Act No. 68, Section 2, eff August 1, 2007.
Code Commissioner's Note
This section was redesignated from Section 24-1-290 at the direction of the Code Commissioner.
Pursuant to 2017 Act No. 96, Section 14, the reference to "Victim's Compensation Fund" in (2) was changed to "Victim Compensation Fund".
Editor's Note
2007 Act No. 68, Section 3, provides as follows:
"The provisions of this act supercede and are controlling over any provision to the contrary in paragraph 37.36, Part IB of the 2007-2008 General Appropriations Bill."
Structure South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 24 - Corrections, Jails, Probations, Paroles and Pardons
Chapter 1 - Department Of Corrections
Section 24-1-20. Declaration of policy.
Section 24-1-30. Department of Corrections created; functions.
Section 24-1-90. Director authorized to make rules and regulations.
Section 24-1-100. Qualifications of director of prison system.
Section 24-1-110. Employment and discharge of other personnel.
Section 24-1-120. Bonds of director and other personnel.
Section 24-1-130. Management and control of prison system.
Section 24-1-145. Transfer or exchange of foreign convicted offenders.
Section 24-1-160. Periodic reports from departments, officers and employees.
Section 24-1-170. Financial records.
Section 24-1-210. Department to prosecute violations relating to treatment of convicts.
Section 24-1-220. Suits to be brought in name of director.
Section 24-1-250. Sale of timber and horticultural products; utilization of funds.
Section 24-1-260. Use of fees collected in clinical pastoral training program.
Section 24-1-285. Organ and tissue donation program.
Section 24-1-310. Designation of detention and correctional facilities as fixed-state facilities.
Section 24-1-320. List of designated sites and unmanned aerial vehicle boundaries.