The Department of Corrections (DOC) operates a comprehensive work program for incarcerated persons through the Correctional Industries (CI) program. Correctional Industries develops and implements programs that offer employment, work experience, and training to incarcerated persons. Correctional Industries employs approximately 2,200 incarcerated persons across the following five classes of industries:
An incarcerated person who receives a wage or gratuity from working in a prison industry is subject to various deductions from the person's gross income depending on the industry classification, including deductions for the Crime Victims' Compensation Account, the incarcerated person's personal savings account, the cost of incarceration, legal financial obligations, payment of any civil judgment for Assault against a correctional officer or DOC employee, and child support payments. The actual amount to be deducted for those reasons from an incarcerated person's income may be determined by various entities, such as the sentencing court, the DOC, and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), subject to specific statutory limits on such deductions. The following maximum deductions from an incarcerated person's gross income are authorized depending on the incarcerated person's income source and industry classification:
| Class I | Class II | Class III | Class IV | Other Income Sources | |
| Crime Victims' Compensation Account | 5 percent | 5 percent | 5 percent | Not prescribed in statute | 5 percent |
| Personal Savings Account | 10 percent | 10 percent | Not prescribed in statute | Not prescribed in statute | 10 percent |
| Cost of Incarceration | 20 percent | 15 percent | Not prescribed in statute | 5 percent | 20 percent |
| Legal Financial Obligations | 20 percent | 20 percent | Not prescribed in statute | Not prescribed in statute | 20 percent |
| Payment of any Civil Judgment for Assault | 20 percent | 15 percent | 15 percent | 15 percent | 20 percent |
| Child Support | Varies (Determined by DSHS) | 15 percent | 15 percent | 15 percent | 20 percent |
The DOC must utilize a system that links an incarcerated person's behavior and participation in available education and work programs with the receipt or denial of earned early release days and other privileges. Eligible incarcerated persons who refuse to participate in available education or work programs available at no charge to the incarcerated individuals may lose additional privileges and incentives as established by the DOC. For example, an incarcerated person may not receive earned early release days during any time in which the person refuses to participate in an available work program the person has been placed in.
The DOC operates a Work Ethic Program, which is a structured alternative to traditional incarceration that requires participants to complete a comprehensive array of job and vocational experiences, character building work ethic training, life management skills development, substance abuse rehabilitation, counseling, and education.
Participation in CI work programs is made voluntary, except that a court may order a defendant to perform community restitution. The DOC may not issue infractions or engage in punitive actions against any incarcerated person who refuses to participate in work programs. Incarcerated persons working in Class I, II, III, or IV industries must be paid a wage or gratuity no less than the state minimum wage. Provisions authorizing courts and the DOC to impose and collect the cost of incarceration from defendants and incarcerated persons are eliminated. Instead, the DOC may deduct up to 10 percent from an incarcerated person's income for debts owed to the DOC. The maximum authorized deductions from an incarcerated person's gross income depending on the incarcerated person's income source and industry classification are adjusted to the following percentages:
| Class I | Class II | Class III | Class IV | Other Income Sources | |
| Crime Victims' Compensation Account | 10 percent | 10 percent | 10 percent | 10 percent | 10 percent |
| Personal Savings Account | 50 percent | 50 percent | 50 percent | 50 percent | 50 percent |
| Legal Financial Obligations | 10 percent | 10 percent | 10 percent | 10 percent | 10 percent |
| Payment of any Civil Judgment for Assault | 10 percent | 10 percent | 10 percent | 10 percent | 10 percent |
| Child Support | Varies (Determined by DSHS) | 20 percent | 20 percent | 20 percent | 20 percent |
By October 1, 2023, the DOC must submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature containing the following information:
Provisions authorizing the DOC to operate a Work Ethic Program are repealed.
(In support) Incarcerated persons are given infractions, confined to their cells, and lose privileges for refusing to work. Exclusions and loopholes cut incarcerated persons, many of whom are people of color, out of basic protections. Those who do work are given grueling hours and receive subminimum wages for strenuous tasks. Less than half of the money earned is left after deductions. This means that workers can't afford basic resources and personal hygiene items because prices in the commissary continue to increase while wages remain the same. For example, it takes three hours of labor to pay for the cost of a phone call, leaving family members to shoulder the financial burden. Children in these families are especially impacted in a negative way. This bill will allow incarcerated persons to provide financially to their families while in custody, enabling incarcerated persons to maintain contact with their children and cultivate stronger relationships. A nest egg or some sort of stability will help facilitate successful reentry, reduce recidivism, and lead to better repayment of legal financial obligations and other debts.
It is important to support the pursuit of academic and vocational credentials through educational programs. These programs provide a high return on investment as an educational resource, and help to close the equity gap in graduation demographics. An incarcerated person's participation in educational programs can also impact the welfare of other inmates. Incarcerated tutors shatter stereotypes and embody trust and confidence in ways that traditional staff cannot. However, educational programs should also help students earn specific credentials and certifications that will be useful for obtaining post-release employment.
Furniture on the University of Washington campus was purchased from the CI program, which some students have found to be exploitative.
(Opposed) None.
(Other) Wages and gratuities are important and complex with far reaching impacts. Currently, there are no Class I industries. Class II industries must be self-sustaining financially, so if gratuities increase then those costs must be passed along to purchasers. Class III industries are an essential part of prison operations, and Class III workers are paid a gratuity that generally has a limit of $55 a month. Class IV workers are paid a prevailing wage. Increasing wages across the board will create a cost that must be passed along to agencies and cities, which impacts their budgets and operations. The solution offered to compensate workers must be as equitable as possible.