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The Committee has noted the information provided by the Government in its reports received in 2001 and 2002. It has noted, in particular the information concerning the work of prisoners. The Government indicates that, on a very small scale, involving a total of 20 or 30 prisoners at a number of institutions, craft/assembly-type activity is brought into prison to provide occupation for some prisoners; the Governor of the prison obtains the work from private parties and is paid for the work at the prevailing outside rate, all payments received being passed on to the prisoners involved; such work is entirely voluntary on the part of the prisoners. As regard employment of prisoners outside prison premises, the Government states that they are not in this case employed as prisoners per se but as labour market participants, without distinction from other labour market participants, their employment being entirely voluntary on their part.

The Committee requests the Government to describe the organization of prisoners’ work for private persons and entities, both inside and outside prison premises, and to supply specimen copies of agreements concluded between prison authorities and private users of prison labour. The Government is also requested to indicate measures taken to ensure that any work or service by prisoners for private persons is performed in conditions approximating a free employment relationship; such measures should include the formal consent of the person concerned, as well as - given the absence of alternative access to the free labour market - further guarantees and safeguards covering the essential elements of a free labour relationship, such as wages and social security (see also paragraphs 112-125 of the Committee’s General Report submitted to the 86th Session of the International Labour Conference (1998) and paragraphs 128-143 of its General Report submitted to the 89th Session of the Conference (2001)).