Maine inmates earn paychecks through remote work program
By Scott McDonnell
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MAINE (WMTW) — While some serving time may pass the hours with cards and cribbage, others are spending that time working.
At the Southern Maine Women’s Reentry Center in Windham, Ashley Mackie is filling her time with classes and coding.
“I have to fix some of the questions that aren’t coming up properly,” Mackie said.
Mackie was sentenced to six and a half years in prison. She has served three.
She is one of almost 40 residents in Maine prisons holding down remote jobs while incarcerated.
“I get paid by the hour. I get a check once a month,” Mackie said.
The Maine Department of Corrections says the average salary for full-time work across male and female inmates is between $50,000 and $70,000 a year. Some inmates earn more than $100,000 annually.
“We have an individual in Mountain View that’s a senior software engineer,” said Commissioner Randall Liberty of the Maine Department of Corrections. “And the beauty of him making six figures is he’s able to pay restitution back to victims. He’s able to pay court fees and fines. He’s able to pay child support. He’s paying his mortgage. He’s able to put money aside.”
Liberty said when individuals have purpose, the positives are hard to ignore.
“In 2017, we had 87 assaults on staff at the Maine State Prison,” Liberty said. “In 2023, we had seven — so, significant reduction in violence, creating a non-adversarial environment. And we’ve had great success doing it.”
The program also requires residents to pay toward their own room and board.
After that, Mackie said she is able to send money to her family instead of the other way around.
“A lot of us are qualified to hold positions,” Mackie said.
Working while incarcerated, she said, proves residents can be worthy employees.
“A lot of us really want to do better, and we are working our best to be better,” Mackie said.
More than 15 outside employers are currently participating in the remote work program, hiring people who are serving time. Other states have tested similar ideas, mostly limited to small groups working call center jobs.
The Department of Corrections said states across the country have reached out to learn how Maine’s program works.
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