A forum for prison labor economic information sharing and debate.
About Tom Petersik PhD
Tom Petersik and his wife Kathy visiting the old jail in Matthews, Virginia.
Biography
Tom Petersik received his BA in Economics in 1967, MA in 1969, University of Oklahoma, and PhD from The George Washington University in 1986. He previously served in the US Army in Military Police. His experience as an Economist is as follows:
1970-1979 US Census, National Prisoner Statistics.
1980s to present: Labor Economist International "Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants," (CURE)
1990s: National Working Group on Inmate Labor
1999: Soros, Open Society Institute, "National Symposium, The Economics of Inmate Labor Force Participation";
2000s: Assessor "Prison Industry Enhancement Certification" (PIE) program.
Though currently retired and enjoying the retired life with his lovely wife Kathy, their 4 children, and 10 grandchildren, Tom’s commitment for educating people on the reality of inmate labor has not waned.
Personal Statement
This website lays out my basic views on Prison Labor Reform. It is intended to be a resource which will undergo revisions, grow, and evolve over time. My intentions of this site are not to abolish prison labor; on the contrary, it is to propel prison labor reform to become a more efficient and humanitarian means of persons incarcerated earning wages to contribute to their families and society.
The following work sparked my desire to create this website.
An Economist Looks at US Prison Labor Reform
1. Introduction & Overview
2. Background & Summary Facts
3. Current Law, Custom, and Social Deliverables: All That's Wrong Today
4. Two-Minute Primer on Competitive Economics, Theory & History
5. The Good That Can Be
6. Background Information
7. Notes and References: National Correctional Industries Association and 2019 presentation to NCIA National Conference)