Introduction by the Attorney General

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If one were to ask America’s top Chief Executive Officers to identify the factors that led to their present success, “hard work” undoubtedly would place high on their lists. A strong work ethic always has been an essential part of our culture. It is a virtue we extoll and that we try to instill in our children. It is one of the things that defines us as Americans.

We value hard work for many reasons. In addition to the essential force it plays in the vitality of our economy, work improves those who do it. Work develops individual qualities like responsibility, respect, and self-confidence. Work also gives people a tangible way to recognize that they are an important part of a larger community. For thousands of incarcerated men and women, that basic human desire to be associated with something positive did not cease to exist when they entered prison.

Part of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ stated mission is to "provide work and other self-improvement opportunities to assist offenders in becoming law-abiding citizens." One government program that helps inmates acquire many of the critical life skills they need to succeed upon release is Federal Prison Industries (frequently referred to as FPI, or by its trade name, UNICOR).

Federal Prison Industries is a wholly-owned government corporation which employs 25 percent of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ sentenced inmate population. For many inmates, working in Federal Prison Industries represents a chance to acquire a marketable skill and gain valuable work experience that will enhance substantially their ability to reintegrate successfully into society upon release from prison. The program teaches inmates the value of work, responsibility, and the need to respect and work with others. Many gain a sense of dignity and self-worth that they had lost, or perhaps never before experienced. In fact, for the greatest percentage of inmates working in FPI, it is their first real job.

FPI is an example of the good that government can do. FPI provides those who have taken wrong turns in life with a second chance. It enables those who take full advantage of its possibilities to return to society with better prospects for a secure and brighter future.

John Ashcroft
Attorney General