In this 2012 State of the Union Address, President Obama said, “Tonight, I want to speak about how we move forward, and lay out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last – an economy built on American manufacturing.” However, under current law, Federal Prison Industries, a government-run program that puts inmates to work while in prison, enjoys an unbridled preference when it comes to unfairly claiming federal contracts, like contracts to produce uniforms for U.S. troops or manufacture office furniture for federal buildings. As a result, domestic manufacturers, and the hardworking taxpayers they employ, lose valuable market share and jobs to federally incarcerated inmates. We urge the Obama Administration to work with Congress and reduce these unfair preferences.



