Labouring behind bars: Assessing international law on working prisoners.

Most people serving a sentence of imprisonment will work while in custody, whether performing domestic or maintenance tasks for the prison, or producing goods or services, usually with the involvement of businesses, charities, or other non-state providers. Under international law, as well as most national legal systems, working prisoners enjoy far fewer legal protections than free workers. They typically receive little or no pay and have little protection against coercion or poor working conditions. At least one-fifth of the world’s prisoners are estimated by the International Labour Organisation to be working in conditions of abusive labour exploitation.