Freakonomics Radio
Highway Signs and Prison Labor
· Summarized
Key takeaways
- Highway signs in America result from a complex history of regulation, design standards, and manufacturing processes.
- The manufacturing plant for highway signs in North Carolina operates using prison labor, offering a cost advantage to the state.
- Prison labor raises serious ethical questions despite its economic benefits, with many incarcerated individuals working for little to no pay.
- There is a mixed record on the effectiveness of prison work programs in helping individuals find jobs after release.
- The episode invites listeners to consider the balance between economic efficiency and ethical labor practices in state-run industries.
Summary
Introduction to Highway Signs and Prison Labor
In this bonus episode, Stephen Duffner introduces Zachary Crockett's deep dive into the manufacturing of highway signs in North Carolina, particularly focusing on how the state utilizes prison labor for this production. The episode merges the economic factors behind highway signage with the ethical implications of prison labor.
The Evolution of Highway Sign Manufacturing
Zachary Crockett explores the historical development of highway signs, detailing how the absence of a standardized system in the early automobile days led to the creation of the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) in the 1930s. This manual established uniform standards for signs across the nation, assigning specific designs, colors, and shapes, ensuring consistency for drivers.
The Manufacturing Process of Highway Signs
The episode takes listeners inside a sign manufacturing plant located within a prison, describing the elaborate process of creating highway signs. Lee Blackman, the plant manager, outlines the steps from selecting aluminum to applying reflective sheeting and hand-placing letters, emphasizing the precision required for each sign, which may take hours or days to complete.
The Role of Prison Labor in the Economy
Crockett shifts focus to prison labor, examining how many incarcerated people in North Carolina work in various roles, including manufacturing highway signs. With low wages—often just pennies an hour—this model raises questions about ethics and economic feasibility, revealing how this labor contributes significantly to state revenue and the products made.
Benefits and Critiques of Prison Labor
The discussion covers the perceived benefits of prison labor, such as reducing costs for taxpayers and giving prisoners skills that might aid in rehabilitation. However, critics argue that the system exploits workers who lack legal rights and protections. The narratives of individuals like Christopher Barnes and Brian Scott provide personal insights into the impact of such employment.
Sponsors
- Correction Enterprises · Correction Enterprises, part of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, runs several production facilities including the sign manufacturing plant where incarcerated individuals work for low wages, providing cost-effective labor for state projects.
Show notes
Incarcerated people grow crops, fight wildfires, and manufacture everything from prescription glasses to highway signs — often for pennies an hour. Zachary Crockett takes the next exit, in this special episode of The Economics of Everyday Things.
- SOURCES:
- Laura Appleman, professor of law at Willamette University.
- Christopher Barnes, inmate at the Franklin Correctional Center.
- Lee Blackman, general manager at Correction Enterprises.
- Gene Hawkins, senior principal engineer at Kittelson and professor emeritus of civil engineering at Texas A&M University.
- Renee Roach, state signing and delineation engineer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
- Brian Scott, ex-inmate, former worker at the Correction Enterprises printing plant.
- Louis Southall, warden of Franklin Correctional Center.
- RESOURCES:
- “Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, 11th Edition,” by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (2023).
- “Prisoners in the U.S. Are Part of a Hidden Workforce Linked to Hundreds of Popular Food Brands,” by Robin McDowell and Margie Mason (AP News, 2024).
- “Ex-Prisoners Face Headwinds as Job Seekers, Even as Openings Abound,” by Talmon Joseph Smith (The New York Times, 2023).
- “Bloody Lucre: Carceral Labor and Prison Profit,” by Laura Appleman (Wisconsin Law Review, 2022).
- “The Road to Clarity,” by Joshua Yaffa (The New York Times Magazine, 2007).
- Correction Enterprises.
- EXTRAS:
- “Do People Pay Attention to Signs?” by No Stupid Questions (2022).
- The Economics of Everyday Things.
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