(a) The commissioner shall use the industrial fund for the institutions of the department as a revolving fund for the maintenance and continuance of such productive industries as the commissioner directs and for the purchase of supplies, stock, tools, machinery and other equipment to promote in any way the industrial activities, including agricultural activities, of the institutions. The proceeds from all sales resulting from such activities shall be paid to the Treasurer and credited to said fund.

(b) The commissioner shall approve the establishment and maintenance of any and all such industrial activities, which may include, but need not be limited to, an optical shop to produce prescription eyeglasses for inmates of correctional institutions, for persons under state care in other institutions and for other persons receiving or eligible to receive benefits under Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act, as amended, provided such optical shop is under the direct supervision of an optician licensed under chapter 381, and provided further such eyeglasses are prescribed by an optometrist licensed under chapter 380, and are fitted by such licensed optometrist or by an optician licensed under chapter 381, after considering and determining the extent, if any, to which each industry may compete with private industry and, as far as possible, shall encourage a diversified program. If the optical shop is unable to fill the prescription for such eyeglasses for any reason, within the two-week period from its receipt of such prescription, the shop shall notify the person who prescribed such eyeglasses within ten days after receipt of such prescription.

(c) The commissioner may, by regulation, provide, for any injury suffered by any inmate arising out of and in the course of his employment in such industries, a compensation award not covered under section 4-165b. Such payments shall not exceed the sum of one dollar and fifty cents per week and shall be payable solely from profits from such industries.

(d) The commissioner may appoint, in accordance with chapter 67, a superintendent of institution industries and such assistants and employees as he deems necessary to (1) manage the industries, (2) market and deliver the products and (3) investigate complaints. The compensation of such appointees shall be paid from the industrial fund.

(e) The commissioner shall cause such articles, materials and products as are used by state agencies and political subdivisions to be produced by the labor of prisoners and sold at prices comparable with the lowest market prices for such articles and materials sold or offered for sale outside the institutions.

(f) Any political subdivision of the state or federal government, any private nonprofit entity, including one which receives all or part of its revenues from any political subdivision of the state or federal government or any benefit corporation created under chapter 604, may purchase any articles, materials or products required by it which are produced or manufactured by the institution industries, and any person may purchase products and by-products of farming operations in accordance with section 53-329. The commissioner may promulgate and circulate at sufficiently frequent intervals for distribution to the Commissioner of Administrative Services, the Comptroller and such political subdivisions a catalog showing styles, designs, sizes and varieties of all articles, materials and products manufactured and produced at the institutions and periodical price lists for all such articles.

(g) Each state department, agency, commission or board shall purchase its necessary products and services from the institution industries if such products and services are produced or manufactured and made available by such industries, provided such products and services are of comparable price and quality and in sufficient quantity as may be available for sale or offered for sale outside the institutions.

(h) The commissioner shall file an annual report of the industrial operations with the Governor and a balance sheet and statement of operations with the Comptroller at such times as he requests. The commissioner shall determine at the end of each fiscal year the amount of cash working capital necessary to be retained in the industrial fund and the excess of the amount so determined shall be transferred to the General Fund.

(i) The Commissioner of Correction may establish retail hobby stores for the purpose of the sale to the public, but not for resale, of articles made by inmates of any of the institutions of the department. The proceeds of such sales, less a charge to defray the cost of the sales as determined by the commissioner, shall be deposited in the inmate's institutional account. Such hobby products shall be subject to approval by the Commissioner of Correction.

(j) Any person who sells or offers for sale on the open market, to any person other than as specified in this section, any articles, materials or products manufactured or produced by institution inmates, shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five thousand dollars or be imprisoned not more than six months, or be both fined and imprisoned.

(k) The Commissioner of Correction may establish, within the industrial fund, commissaries to be operated for the purpose of sale to inmates of items authorized by the commissioner. The cost of the commissary operation shall be charged to the fund and the proceeds of such sales shall be deposited in the fund. The commissioner is authorized to transfer a portion of the profits from the operation of the commissaries to the Correctional General Welfare Fund established under section 4-57a.

(1949 Rev., S. 3017; 1957, P.A. 657, S. 1–11, 14; 1961, P.A. 45, S. 1; 1963, P.A. 28, S. 3; 1967, P.A. 152, S. 33; 1969; P.A. 470; P.A. 77-614, S. 274, 610; P.A. 78-293, S. 1, 2, 6; P.A. 79-151; P.A. 84-236, S. 2; P.A. 88-1, S. 5, 13; 88-116, S. 10; P.A. 90-74; P.A. 91-406, S. 6, 29; P.A. 98-263, S. 16, 21; P.A. 01-106, S. 1, 6; P.A. 18-155, S. 4, 5.)

History: 1961 act deleted provision in Subsec. (a) that members be appointed in odd-numbered years for two-year terms and provided for staggered terms of five years each; 1963 act deleted stipulation in Subsec. (b) that industrial fund be used for State Prison and State Prison farm and substituted Osborn Division for State Prison farm in same subsection; 1967 act substituted “The Correction” for “State Prison” in name of Commission (Subsec. (a)), “institution” for “prison,” “State Prison” and “Osborn division” (Subsecs. (b), (d), (f), (g) and (h)), “commissioner of correction” for “directors” (Subsecs. (a), (d), (g) and (i), “commissioner” for “warden of the State Prison” (Subsec. (f)), and “institution inmates” for “prisoners” to conform with new terminology of title 18, further deleted obsolete provision re staggered terms of appointment and substituted provision authorizing governor to appoint member annually for five-year term to replace member whose term expires (Subsec. (a)), added provisions for use of industrial fund for “institutions of the department” (Subsec. (b)), deleted provisions for incentive wages for meritorious service and the grading of inmates according to skill and work habits (Subsec. (d)) and provision that section “shall not apply to State Prison for Women” (Subsec. (d)(1)); Sec. 18-14 transferred to Sec. 18-88 in 1968; 1969 act inserted new Subsec. (j) re retail hobby stores and redesignated former Subsec. (j) as Subsec. (k); P.A. 77-614 deleted Subsec. (a) which had described organization of Correction Industries Advisory Commission, redesignating remaining Subsecs. accordingly, transferred duties of commission to commissioner of correction and replaced commissioner of finance and control with secretary of the office of policy and management, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-293 added provisions re production of eyeglasses in optical shop in Subsecs. (b) and (c); P.A. 79-151 authorized federal government and private nonprofit entities to purchase products in Subsec. (f) and required state agencies to purchase products and services from institution industries as specified in Subsec. (g); P.A. 84-236 amended Subsec. (a) to allow use of funds for agricultural activities; P.A. 88-1 amended Subsec. (h) to eliminate involvement of secretary of the office of policy and management in determination of amount of cash working capital to be retained in fund; P.A. 88-116 substituted “commissioner of administrative services” for “director of purchasing” in Subsec. (f); P.A. 90-74 amended Subsec. (f) by permitting any person to purchase products and by-products of farming operations in accordance with Sec. 53-329; P.A. 91-406 corrected an internal reference in Subsec. (c), substituting Sec. 4-165b for Sec. 18-95; P.A. 98-263 added Subsec. (k) re establishment and operation of commissaries, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 01-106 amended Subsec. (g) to eliminate provision prohibiting Comptroller's approval of certain purchases that are not from institution industries, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 18-155 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “including, but not limited to, an optical shop” with “which may include, but need not be limited to, an optical shop”, amended Subsec. (f) by adding “or any benefit corporation created under chapter 604”, and made technical changes.

See Sec. 53-329 re deposit of proceeds from sale of prison labor products in industrial fund.

Former statute cited. 130 C. 111.