303.015 Prison industries board.

(1) The prison industries board has the following powers and duties:

(a) The department shall submit each department biennial budget request for prison industries and every substantial department-proposed modification of the prison industries budget to the board for review before it is submitted to the department of administration, governor, joint committee on finance or legislature. If the board does not approve the budget request or modification, the board may develop an alternative proposal or a statement that shall be appended to the budget request or modification and submitted with it.

(b) The board shall develop a plan containing recommendations for the manufacture and marketing of prison industries products, the provision of prison industries services and the provision of research and development activities. Whenever feasible, the plan shall include research activities with a facility involved in the cocomposting of solid waste and sludge from wastewater treatment facilities. The plan may include, but is not limited to, recommended market research, product modifications, manufacturing techniques, pricing policies, advertising and elimination or establishment of specific industries or products. No prison industry may be established or permanently closed without approval of the board.

(c) Prior to submission to the legislative council staff for review under s. 227.15, departmental rules relating to hiring, termination, evaluation and compensation of, or other conditions of employment for, inmates or residents in prison industries shall be submitted to the board for approval. Board authority over rules shall not extend to determination of which inmates or residents are eligible for employment in prison industries or to security matters.

(d) No purchase of more than $250,000 may be made for prison industries without prior approval of the board.

(e) The board shall review and either approve or deny a proposal under s. 303.06 (5) to offer for sale in the open market a product or type of product manufactured in whole or in part by inmates as part of a hobby-craft program or vocational training. Once the board has approved the sale of a particular product or type of product under this paragraph, the product or type of product may be offered for sale by any tax-supported or nonprofit agency under s. 303.06 (5) without further approval by the board under this paragraph.

(2) When exercising its powers, the board shall consider the effect of its actions on private business, industry and labor.

(3) In this section, “prison industries" does not include any correctional farm operation.

History: 1983 a. 27, 333; 1985 a. 182 s. 57; 1989 a. 31 s. 1675; Stats. 1989 s. 303.015; 1989 a. 335; 1991 a. 39; 1995 a. 27, 389.