A new opportunity for paying jobs for San Quentin inmates has been approved by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The job source is a joint venture operated by a company calling itself “Big Dawg” Manufacturing, LLC. The company manufactures refrigeration products.
The company will choose from a pool of inmates who are free of disciplinary violations. They will come from H-Unit, North Block and West Block, according to the operations manual.
Here are the requirements: Those inmates selected will have to have a high school diploma or GED. The joint venture project supervisor will decide if an applicant has the skills to perform the requirements of the job. The inmates must have an established release date, specifically an Earliest Possible Release Date (EPRD) fewer than 10 years from the date of the inmate’s signed and submitted application.
Inmates could be paid minimum wage and could expect to pay the following deductions:
Federal, state and local taxes;
Twenty percent to lawful restitution, fine or contribution to any fund established by law compensating the victims of crime;
Twenty percent for the cost of room and board;
Twenty percent for family support, if the inmate elects to, or these funds shall be deposited in a mandatory savings account;
Twenty percent of net wages shall be deposited in a mandatory savings account, administered by JVP Headquarters, available upon the inmate’s release.
The program is expected to begin sometime before the end of the year.