Michigan's prison labor system blurs the line between work and punishment, mandating tasks that support prison operations without providing standard employment rights or adequate compensation. Incarcerated workers are classed as non-employees with pay often limited to pennies per hour, while their labor fuels various prison functions, from kitchen work to vocational training. Unlike states that reward work with sentence reductions, Michigan's truth-in-sentencing laws restrict such benefits. The system’s low wages have stagnated, failing to keep pace with the rising costs of prison life. This raises crucial questions about the true value and rehabilitative nature of prison work, especially around Labor Day, a day meant to honor labor.