§4126. Prison Industries Fund; use and settlement of accounts

(a) All moneys under the control of Federal Prison Industries, or received from the sale of the products or by-products of such Industries, or for the services of federal prisoners, shall be deposited or covered into the Treasury of the United States to the credit of the Prison Industries Fund and withdrawn therefrom only pursuant to accountable warrants or certificates of settlement issued by the Government Accountability Office.

(b) All valid claims and obligations payable out of said fund shall be assumed by the corporation.

(c) The corporation, in accordance with the laws generally applicable to the expenditures of the several departments, agencies, and establishments of the Government, is authorized to employ the fund, and any earnings that may accrue to the corporation-

(1) as operating capital in performing the duties imposed by this chapter;

(2) in the lease, purchase, other acquisition, repair, alteration, erection, and maintenance of industrial buildings and equipment;

(3) in the vocational training of inmates without regard to their industrial or other assignments;

(4) in paying, under rules and regulations promulgated by the Attorney General, compensation to inmates employed in any industry, or performing outstanding services in institutional operations, not less than 15 percent of such compensation for any inmate shall be reserved in the fund or a separate account and made available to assist the inmate with costs associated with release from prison, and compensation to inmates or their dependents for injuries suffered in any industry or in any work activity in connection with the maintenance or operation of the institution in which the inmates are confined.

In no event may compensation for such injuries be paid in an amount greater than that provided in chapter 81 of title 5.

(d) Accounts of all receipts and disbursements of the corporation shall be rendered to the Government Accountability Office for settlement and adjustment, as required by the Comptroller General.

(e) Such accounting shall include all fiscal transactions of the corporation, whether involving appropriated moneys, capital, or receipts from other sources.

(f) Funds available to the corporation may be used for the lease, purchase, other acquisition, repair, alteration, erection, or maintenance of facilities only to the extent such facilities are necessary for the industrial operations of the corporation under this chapter. Such funds may not be used for the construction or acquisition of penal or correctional institutions, including camps described in section 4125.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 852 ; May 24, 1949, ch. 139, §64, 63 Stat. 99 ; Pub. L. 87–317, Sept. 26, 1961, 75 Stat. 681 ; Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, §7094, Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4412 ; Pub. L. 108–271, §8(b), July 7, 2004, 118 Stat. 814 ; Pub. L. 115–391, title VI, §605(c), Dec. 21, 2018, 132 Stat. 5242 .)

Historical and Revision Notes

1948 Act

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§744d, 744e, 744f, 744l (May 27, 1930, ch. 340, §§4–6, 46 Stat. 391 , 392; June 23, 1934, ch. 736, §4, 48 Stat. 1211 ).

This section is a restatement of section 744l of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., with which sections 744d and 744f and the first sentence of section 744e of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., are consolidated, in view of the fact that those provisions have been superseded by section 744l of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., in connection with other provisions of the act of June 23, 1934, ch. 736, 48 Stat. 1211 .

The first sentence of section 744l of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., authorizing replacement of the prison industries working capital fund by the prison industries fund was omitted, as executed. That provision superseded section 744d of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., which authorized creation of the prison industries working capital fund and the first sentence of section 744e of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., directing that certain funds should be credited to the consolidated prison industries working capital fund.

The phrase "or received from the sale of the products or by-products of such Industries, or for the services of Federal prisoners," was inserted to make the first paragraph of this section complete, and required the Federal Prison Industries to account for all moneys under its control.

The words "in the repair, alteration, erection and maintenance of industrial buildings and equipment" and "under rules and regulations promulgated by the Attorney General in paying compensation to inmates employed in any industry, or performing outstanding services in industrial operations" were inserted in part to conform to administrative construction, and in part to provide greater flexibility in the operation of Prison Industries. Much friction was caused by the inability of Prison Industries to compensate inmates whose services in operating the utilities of the institution were most necessary but which were uncompensated while those prisoners who worked in the Industries received compensation. This inequitable situation is corrected by the revised section.

The words "in performing the duties imposed by this chapter" were substituted for the words "for the purposes enumerated in sections 744a–744h of this title," since the provisions with regard to prison industries now appear in this chapter. The general provisions as to use of the fund supersede the more specific provisions of section 744f of said title (enacted earlier).

A reference to the Federal Employees' Compensation Act as appeared in the 1934 act was substituted for the reference to specific sections of title 5. The word "law" was substituted for the reference to sections in title 31 since translation of the reference in the 1934 act was not practicable.

Remaining provisions of said section 744e of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., relating to authorization of appropriations, were omitted as unnecessary.

Other changes in phraseology were made.

1949 Act

This section [section 64] incorporates in section 4126 of title 18, U.S.C., provisions of act of May 11, 1948 (ch. 276, 62 Stat. 230), which was not incorporated in title 18 when the revision was enacted. The remainder of such act is incorporated in section 4122 of such title by another section of this bill.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018-Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 115–391 inserted "not less than 15 percent of such compensation for any inmate shall be reserved in the fund or a separate account and made available to assist the inmate with costs associated with release from prison," after "operations,".

2004-Subsecs. (a), (d). Pub. L. 108–271 substituted "Government Accountability Office" for "General Accounting Office".

1988-Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 100–690, §7094(1), designated first and second pars. as subsecs. (a) and (b), respectively.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100–690, §7094(1), (2), designated third par. as subsec. (c) and amended subsec. (c) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (c) read as follows: "The corporation, in accordance with the laws generally applicable to the expenditures of the several departments and establishments of the government, is authorized to employ the fund, and any earnings that may accrue to the corporation, as operating capital in performing the duties imposed by this chapter; in the repair, alteration, erection and maintenance of industrial buildings and equipment; in the vocational training of inmates without regard to their industrial or other assignments; in paying, under rules and regulations promulgated by the Attorney General, compensation to inmates employed in any industry, or performing outstanding services in institutional operations, and compensation to inmates or their dependents for injuries suffered in any industry or in any work activity in connection with the maintenance or operation of the institution where confined. In no event shall compensation be paid in a greater amount than that provided in the Federal Employees' Compensation Act."

Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 100–690, §7094(1), designated fourth and fifth pars. as subsecs. (d) and (e), respectively.

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 100–690, §7094(3), added subsec. (f).

1961-Pub. L. 87–317 authorized compensation for injuries to inmates incurred while working in connection with the maintenance or operation of the institution where confined.

1949-Act May 24, 1949, inserted "in the vocational training of inmates without regard to their industrial or other assignments;" after second semicolon in third par.