Strategies for Avoiding Work in Federal Prison: A Guide for Inmates

Once you have served time in federal prison, you may find yourself faced with the unappealing task of performing work that seems more like slavery than rehabilitation. It’s important to understand how you can avoid work and what consequences you might face for not cooperating.

Medical Waivers: A Key to Work Avoidance

One of the primary ways to avoid work is through a medical waiver. According to federal guidelines, you cannot be compelled to perform work that you physically cannot do. Federal prisons are mandated to provide work for every inmate, but not all facilities provide every job. In some cases, a ‘job’ may be assigned to you, even if it is not what you want or can perform. The process of requesting a medical waiver involves seeking medical help from the prison staff. If the medical staff agrees, they will issue a waiver, allowing you to avoid work.

Make-Work Jobs: An Inmate’s Best Friend

Some prisons offer make-work jobs that are purely to keep you occupied. Examples of these jobs include rec yard equipment management, like counting baseball gloves, or showing up on days where there is no actual work to be done, like on a rainy lawn mowing day. These jobs are often easier to perform and involve little to no physical labor. So, while you might not enjoy these jobs, they can help you avoid the grueling work assignments that may come your way.

Declining Work and Getting Waivers

If the work you are given is not to your liking, you can always decline it and ask for a waiver. It’s important, however, to note that declining work repeatedly can be seen as a form of laziness and can lead to stricter punishments. Always act as though you are going to get a waiver, and you might just be lucky. The prison doctors can issue a waiver if they determine that you are not physically capable of the work, even if you are malingering slightly.

Accepting Work That’s Worth Having

Some work assignments can be valuable. For example, inventory management in the clothing department or managing new clothing can be a manageable task that doesn’t require excessive physical labor and can even provide a small sense of responsibility. By paying attention and watching carefully, you can often figure out which jobs are worth accepting and which ones might as well be avoided.

The Consequences of Working

While it may seem like avoiding work in federal prison is a good idea, it can lead to serious consequences. You should have considered this before you committed a felony. Once you choose an action, you are choosing its consequences. Your desire to avoid these consequences might indicate that you are lazy, immature, and a wuss.

If you have fines or restitution obligations, failure to work can result in penalties. Even if you are only earning 12 cents per hour, any money in your commissary may be applied to your debt, and you may only keep a limited amount, roughly $5 per month. If you fail to work when you have financial obligations, you will face consequences. Additionally, if you do not find a job, you will likely end up on the duty punch-board, which could result in menial tasks like sweeping the compound for 6 hours a day, rain or shine. You will not earn much, only a few dollars a month in maintenance pay.

Your failure to work or program could also affect your good time and lead to longer time in prison, or even a longer stay in a halfway house. So, while you may try to avoid work, it could cost you more in the end.

Conclusion

While it’s understandable to want to avoid work in federal prison, it’s important to understand the consequences and the available options. By knowing how to navigate the system through medical waivers, understanding make-work jobs, and knowing when to accept valuable work, you can reduce the impact of work assignments on your prison experience. However, it’s crucial to remember that avoidance comes with its own set of risks and could ultimately result in longer time behind bars.