Elizabeth Holmes: Jobs in Federal Prison

If Elizabeth Holmes is sentenced to federal prison, she will be required to hold down a prison job, presuming she is medically able to do so. Her counselor will assign her job.

We encourage new prisoners to be proactive in looking for work. In other words, as soon as they hit the compound they should begin to network and learn about available--and more desirable--prison jobs.

To Ms. Holmes, if she is in prison and finds a job opportunity she can bring it to her counselor for approval. Most new prisoners, unfortunately, get their desired job requested denied.

Prison work assignments include almost every department in a prison facility, including food service, commissary, library, laundry, or warehouse. Other jobs include unit orderly plumber, painter, landscaper, or groundskeeper. Most of the hands-on jobs in a facility are in the hands of people serving time.

You would be wrong to think there is no competition in federal prison for the best jobs since people only earn 12¢ to 40¢ per hour for their work assignments, and basic pay is about $5.25/month.

In fact, people in federal prison compete intensely for the job assignments they think will work best for their needs. And what qualifies as the best prison job depends on a person’s likes and needs.

The highest possible pay is most attractive for some people because they have no family support. For others, working at the Recreation Department is desirable, even for basic maintenance pay, if the boss allows them to get their exercise in while at work! Others might want a job in the library when they are working on their legal papers or filing an appeal.

A popular view among many people in prison is that UNICOR offers more desirable jobs, as they offer higher pay and a wider variety of jobs.

In many federal prison facilities, new prisoners get automatically assigned to specific less desirable jobs, such as being an orderly in the bathroom or getting assigned to the morning shift in food services. Elizabeth Holmes will be no different--she will not get special treatment.

With all this background, here is a list of jobs for federal prisoners, specifically the federal prison camps (where Ms. Holmes is most likely to serve her prison sentence).

Head Unit Orderly:

The cottage maintenance staff or orderlies clean the dorms, bathroom, tv room, microwave room, etc. The head orderly works with the officers in charge of the dorms doing job assignments. Sometimes they can influence bed assignments, which are a big deal.

Food Services:

Good, dedicated cooks are valuable to staff. They are paid well by prison standards, well above maintenance pay. They may receive monthly bonuses, sometimes doubling their monthly pay. Cooks can get access to extra food occasionally, which they value. The prison hustle is an incentive for some.

Education:

Teaching a course is a good way to give back to the prison and also endear yourself to prisoners and staff.

UNICOR:

UNICOR is a desirable job since you can make more money. Some prisons have “factories” that create or build items for the prison but also for the federal government. UNICOR makes clothes, electronics, office products and much more.

Town Driver:

As the name suggests, town drivers in lower-security prisons and camps are trusted to drive people to doctor’s appointments, bus stops, airports, etc., as needed.

Staff Dining:

The pay is decent, but the big perk is eating from a different batch of meals. In some facilities, staff dining workers prepare the meals for the officers, including the Captain, Lieutenants, Warden. When they are good at the job, the officers appreciate them and want to keep them happy—potential for extra food, bonus pay, and access to prison hustle.

Commissary Clerk:

While many inmates get jobs helping dispense commissary, there are usually one or two spots for the clerks, who get paid more and work more closely with the officers. Commissary clerks can get first dibs on hard to get items, a big deal.

Laundry clerks:

Access to good clothes, bedrolls, tailoring, and other perks working in laundry makes this position desirable for many people. The pay is better than many other jobs, and the head clerk gets paid the highest.

Too many prisoners pay someone to do their job. I strongly encourage Ms. Holmes to do her job--even if that means scrubbing showers and toilets until she gets something more favorable.

Best,
Justin

jp@whitecollaradvice.com - 818-424-2220
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