Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program

Marc Kaim

The Prison Industry Enhancement (PIE) Certification Program was put into place in 1979 by the federal government to ease restrictions on prison-made goods. Earlier legislation, such as the Hawes-Cooper and Ashurst-Sumners acts, had prevented or restricted the production, distribution, and sale of prison-made goods. The PIE program allows private sector industry to establish joint ventures with state and local correctional agencies to produce goods using prison labor. It certifies and exempts state and local departments of corrections from normal restrictions on the sale of prison-made goods in interstate commerce. The Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program was first authorized under the Justice System Improvement Act of 1979 (Public Law 96–157, §827) and was later expanded under the Justice Assistance Act of 1984 (Public Law 98–473, § 819). The Crime Control Act of 1990 (Public Law 101–647) allowed for the indefinite continuation of the PIE Certification Program. During the 19th century, prisons ...

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