Diary of a Network Geek

New “issue” in the job market.

Never heard of insourcing? Me, either, until this past week. And, apparently, it’s made enough of a stir that two different on-line news sites have articles on it. My standard news source, Wired News, has one article and MSN has another. So, what is it? Well, apparently prison inmates work even cheaper than outsourcers in other countries. Yep, that’s right, prison. Those crafty entreprenuers have put inmates to work in call centers and the like at prices that are, well, almost criminal. These guys make about $130 per month, or about $1500 per year, which beats those high-priced Indian outsourcers that make a whopping $6,000 to $8,000 per year.
Now, I have to admit, I’m a little conflicted over this. First, I think it’s great that the jobs are staying here in the US. And, the prisoners seem happy because it beats mopping floors or working in the laundry. But, can private industry possibly compete with that? And, is it really moral to make that much profit off the prisoners? Hmm, maybe. I mean, isn’t it fair that the criminals help pay for their own rent, food and upkeep? On the other hand, it is almost like slave labor. Of course, a group of small business owners feel that they’re being put out of business due to this cheap, American labor force and are trying to say that it’s illegal. Or, that it should be. That’s still up in the air, but it is an interesting and, possibly, disturbing trend.

In theory, I’m in favor of inmates pulling their own weight, so to speak, in the US economy. And, of course, I’m in favor of almost anything that keeps jobs in the US instead of sending them overseas. But, what effect is this having on local economies? Is it helping or hurting? Or is it not effecting it at all?
More importantly, is it legal? Is it moral? Or, is it just good business? I mean, that was the argument for sending the work offshore in the first place. Honestly, it seems like a good idea, but there’s just something about it that kind of bothers me. I guess it’s too much like a freaky, sience-fiction scenario where the cheap labor force is increased by enacting harsher laws and jailing more “criminals”. How long would it take for a two-class system to develop? I don’t know, but I’m not sure I like where this might go.