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Allegheny County Council

County jail inmates receive first paychecks after 200 years of unpaid work.

Written by Amy Whipple

As of this month, people incarcerated in the Allegheny County Jail (ACJ) will no longer be forced to work without pay.

“Folks in the Allegheny County Jail have been working full-time jobs, seven days a week, sometimes 12-15-hour days for zero cents an hour,” Council Member Bethany Hallam of Ross said at the April 14 county council meeting. Hallam, who is a member of the Jail Oversight Board, said 377 workers received their first payments the week prior.

At the April 2 oversight board meeting, Deputy Warden Connie Clark said people who work throughout the jail receive $5 per day. Those who participate in educational programs receive $2 per class and can attend multiple classes per day. (People may both work and attend classes as well.)

Clark said jobs fall under 12 categories, including custodial, culinary and biohazard mitigation. Not all workers are included in the first phase of the program. People who do custodial work on their own pod will not begin receiving payments until the second phase, which does not yet have a planned start date.  

As of April 23, there were approximately 1,860 people incarcerated at the jail, approximately 130 of which were serving a sentence, the other 1,730 were awaiting trial or sentencing. Only those serving a sentence can be forced to work; people who are being held pre-trial may choose to do so.

Connections to this story

Elected officials:
Bethany Hallam
Topics:
Public Safety & EMS
Governments:
Allegheny County Council

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