Green Jobs in Prisons?
Hat-tip to Lois Ahrens of the Real Cost of Prison Project for this disturbing story, from a site called cleantechnica.com. This and other news about mass incarceration can be found at the RCPP blog.
Company Hires Prison Inmates to Build Solar Modules
By Ariel Schwartz | December 9th, 2008Great news! If you’re sent to the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, NY, you may have the opportunity to work in a solar module factory. Spire Corp. announced yesterday that it is putting $55 million towards the construction of a solar module factory at the Otisville prison.
Modules produced by the inmates in the turnkey photovoltaic factory will be used in government installations. If Spire’s venture is successful, it may be repeated in other prisons across the country.
Spire anticipates complaints from workers rights and environmental groups, but the company hopes that inmates will gain valuable training for solar industry jobs.
That, and Spire wants cheap, reliable labor.
More on this story here.
One Response to “Green Jobs in Prisons?”
5mgj says:
February 7, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Good initiative. Everybody must give their support to generate more green jobs for the everyone.