OVERWORKED AND UNDERCOMPENSATED: AN ANALYSIS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARD INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS AND PRISON LABOR

Abstract

Despite increased levels of concern and academic attention on the ever-growing incarcerated population in the United State., little is known about public attitudes toward incarcerated individuals (Dumitru 2023). Furthermore, it has not yet been established how individuals in the United States view employment and working conditions within the nation’s prisons. Drawing upon surveys and quantitative analyses, this study examines a convenience sample of students (n = 187) from a state university to understand their current level of knowledge of the inner workings of a typical prison and analyze their attitudes towards incarcerated individuals and incarcerated labor. The findings from this study show that, while there are generally positive views regarding the value of incarcerated people, there are mixed opinions on the notion of prison work being punitive, what types of jobs are suitable for incarcerated workers, and to what extent they should be compensated for their work.