If you’ve never wondered who made the chair you’re sitting on, here’s the answer: prisoners.
Corcraft, the brand name of the Division of Correctional Industries, has long supplied furniture, cleaning supplies, license plates, and more to state institutions, including the City University of New York. Established in 1893 at Auburn Prison in New York, Corcraft was created to save the state money by employing incarcerated individuals to manufacture goods.
The program, part of Governor Hochul’s “Jails to Jobs” initiative introduced in 2022, employs incarcerated individuals, reducing recidivism by 50% among those who have participated. Participants can earn sentence reductions and industry credentials, aiding their reentry into the workforce. Corcraft claims the revenue generated from sales is used to operate the program and invest in equipment and training for participants…