{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-cleaver-kamlager-dove-introduce-legislation-guarantee-minimum-wage", "Reps. Cleaver, Kamlager-Dove Introduce Legislation to Guarantee Minimum Wage to Incarcerated Workers", "2023-11-08", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", "cleaver", "https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "(Washington, D.C.) \u2013 Today, U.S. Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) introduced legislation that would guarantee incarcerated workers nationwide receive the federal minimum wage for their labor. The Fair Wages for Incarcerated Workers Act would officially mandate that all incarcerated workers receive the federal minimum wage while working in correctional facilities, eliminate certain wage deductions, and ensure that incarcerated people can still fulfill important legal and financial obligations. The Fair Wages for Incarcerated Workers Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ).\n\n\u201cEvery worker in America should be entitled to compensation commensurate with their labor and expertise\u2014including those who are working within correctional facilities,\u201d said Congressman Cleaver. \u201cTragically, because of a loophole in the 13th amendment, the vast majority of incarcerated workers are forced to work tirelessly for mere cents on the dollar, limiting their earning potential and inflicting additional economic distress on families of the incarcerated. To end the inhumane exploitation of incarcerated labor, Congress must establish and enforce a federal minimum wage for workers in correctional facilities nationwide\u2014which is why I\u2019m proud to introduce the Fair Wages for Incarcerated Workers Act with Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove and Senator Booker.\u201d\n\n\u201cLike all workers, we must ensure fair wages for incarcerated individuals,\u201d said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove. \u201cIt is unjust that prison workers are forced to work for mere pennies due to a racist and antiquated loophole in our Constitution. To right this wrong, I joined Congressman Cleaver and Senator Booker to reform the FLSA to more accurately reflect the financial needs of those in our federal prison system and pay them the fair wages they have earned. We cannot expect incarcerated individuals to be rehabilitated during their sentence if they aren\u2019t able to afford the bare necessities they need to survive. This legislation centers humanity and puts us on a path toward holistic rehabilitation.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe current state of prison labor in America is inhumane and unacceptable,\u201d said Senator Booker. \u201cOf the 1.2 million people incarcerated in our nation\u2019s state and federal prisons, nearly 65% of them work, often without fair labor standards and for little to no pay. This legislation would bring urgently needed reform by ensuring people who are incarcerated are paid the federal minimum wage for their work.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Prison Policy Initiative is excited to see legislation proposed that will bring us closer to treating people who work while incarcerated equitably. Higher prison wages are essential both to fairly compensate people who are incarcerated for their often backbreaking work, and to give them the financial stability they need to succeed after release. All people who work deserve to be fully compensated for their labor and to be protected by the full force of America\u2019s worker protection laws,\u201d said Sarah Staudt, Policy and Advocacy Director at Prison Policy Initiative.\n\n\u201cFor too long, our public prison system and private industry alike have exploited this invisible population of workers for profit. Their labor and their struggles are largely hidden away from both the public consciousness and from the coverage of our nation\u2019s basic, fundamental labor laws. This bill would take an important step by extending some small but meaningful justice to incarcerated worker \u2013 the right to earn at least the minimum wage for their work and to be covered by the FLSA\u2019s protections, like the vast majority of other workers in the U.S.,\u201d said Samantha Sanders, Director of Government Affairs & Advocacy, Economic Policy Institute.\n\n\u201cNELP commends Rep. Cleaver for introducing this important legislation. That we force incarcerated workers to labor for often pennies and dimes per hour is an atrocity in our society. It\u2019s nothing short of modern-day slavery and it is long past time that we ended this barbaric practice,\u201d said Rebecca Dixon, President and CEO of the National Employment Law Project.\n\n\u201cSafer Foundation applauds Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) and Rep. Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), as well as Senate companion legislation sponsor, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), for introducing the Fair Wages for Incarcerated Workers Act. The bill would ensure that incarcerated workers are paid the federal minimum wage and would eliminate certain wage deductions. Prison labor is rooted in long-standing inequities for incarcerated individuals, who are disproportionately Black and Brown people. This bill would increase racial justice by ensuring fair wages for incarcerated people who are working the same jobs for companies that workers in communities do, except that incarcerated people often are paid pennies on the dollar for their work. Payment of fair wages for labor should be ensured for people no matter where their work is completed, and outdated employment and wage policies rooted in racism should be immediately repealed,\u201d said Victor Dickson, President & CEO of Safer Foundation.\n\n\u201cTzedek Association is proud to endorse this important bill. This reinforced what we all already know: encouraging incarcerated individuals to be productive, to work and to train for work is the number one factor that will reduce their risk of G-d forbid re-offending once released. Furthermore, these funds will go to help support their children and spouses, who are innocent and so often suffer the most because of the incarceration. Keeping their children fed is not just humane, it reduces their risk of committing crime to support themselves and their families,\u201d said Rabbi Moshe Margaretten, President of Tzedek Association.\n\nThe Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution formally abolished slavery, \u201cexcept as a punishment for crime,\u201d which has enabled the exploitation of incarcerated individuals in correctional facilities across the country. The Fair Wages for Incarcerated Workers Act is an important step towards closing this loophole and would provide additional protections for incarcerated Americans by:\n\nEstablishing a federal minimum wage of $7.25 for incarcerated workers nationwide;\n\nExtending protections guaranteed by the Fair Labor Standards Act to all incarcerated workers; and\n\nEliminating certain wage deductions to ensure that incarcerated workers will no longer have their income preemptively taken away to cover the cost of court-imposed fees, board, and lodging.\n\nThe Fair Wages for Incarcerated Workers Act is the latest bill introduced by Rep. Cleaver this year focused on reducing recidivism and strengthening protections for incarcerated Americans. Other bills introduced by Rep. Cleaver include:\n\nThe Prison Libraries Act to expand library resources in U.S. state and territory correctional facilities;\n\nThe Transportation for Reentry Act to provide free public transportation for up to one year to recently released individuals;\n\nThe Reentry Resource Guide Act to support state efforts to maintain a digital resource center for individuals ready for reentry into society;\n\nThe Combating Workplace Discrimination in Correctional Facilities Act to strengthen protections for incarcerated workers from discrimination and civil rights violations; and\n\nThe Ensuring Work Opportunities in Correctional Facilities Act to support occupational training programs and educational opportunities in U.S. correctional facilities.\n\nThe Fair Wages for Incarcerated Workers Act is officially endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union, Brennan Center for Justice, Center for Law and Social Policy, Economic Policy Institute, Human Rights Watch, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, National Employment Law Project, Prison Policy Initiative, Safer Foundation, Tzedek Association, and Vera Institute of Justice.\n\nThe Fair Wages for Incarcerated Workers Act is cosponsored by Reps. Cori Bush (D-MO), Danny Davis (D-IL), Chuy Garc\u00eda (D-IL), Ra\u00fal Grijalva (D-AZ), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ).\n\nOfficial text of the Fair Wages for Incarcerated Workers Act is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-cleaver-kamlager-dove-introduce-legislation-guarantee-minimum-wage"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.507679931819439, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}