What is the Joint Venture Program?
The Joint Venture Program (JVP) is responsible for implementing the Prison inmate Labor Initiative, Proposition 139, passed by the voters in 1990. Under its provisions, private businesses can set up operations inside California correctional facilities and hire incarcerated individuals. This includes only those businesses that are starting a new enterprise, expanding an existing business or relocating within California.
This unique relationship is a cooperative effort of private industry and the state of California benefiting businesses, victims, and the state while preparing incarcerated individuals for successful reintegration into the community.
incarcerated individuals are paid a comparable wage that is then subject to deductions for room and board, crime victim compensation, prisoner family support, and mandatory incarcerated individual savings for release. In addition, incarcerated individual-employees pay federal and state taxes.
Mission Statement/Goal
The goal of JVP is to identify, develop and implement cost-efficient joint venture businesses designed to:
- Offer incarcerated individuals employment, work experience and training in marketable job skills that may provide opportunities for legitimate means of livelihood upon release;
- Provide business employment to incarcerated individuals that will reduce the tax burden of the State through mandatory deductions from incarcerated individual-employees’ earnings;
- Address the reduction of incarcerated individual idleness, provide tangible reward to the incarcerated individual for job accomplishments, and promote work ethics; and
- Give businesses attractive benefits for employing incarcerated individuals
