Tailors and corner stores: The hustles helping prisoners survive

Al JazeeraCenterEN 6 min read 100% complete by Tariq MaQboolDecember 7, 2025 at 09:58 AM

Tailors and corner stores: The hustles helping prisoners survive

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AI Summary

long article 6 min

A dual economy exists within New Jersey State Prison (NJSP) due to the low wages paid to inmates for prison labor. Prisoners earn very little, sometimes less than a dollar a day, for essential tasks like food preparation and maintenance. These wages are insufficient to cover the high costs of commissary items, which can be marked up significantly. As a result, prisoners have developed an underground "hustle" economy to supplement their income and afford basic necessities. This system allows inmates to make money through various means to survive within the prison walls.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 70% Prison Policy Initiative 80% New Jersey State Prison ×2100%

Keywords

prison economy 90% prisoner labor 80% commissary 70% hustle 70% new jersey state prison 60% survival 60% underground economy 50% prison reform 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.60

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

New Jersey State Prison

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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prison economy prisoner labor commissary hustle new jersey state prison survival underground economy prison reform

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