Frequently Asked Questions
Is the statement on the frame really accurate?
Yes!
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has contracted the California Prison Industry Authority (formerly California Correctional Industries) to manufacture all its license plates at a prisoner-staffed printshop in Folsom State Prison since 1947. The shop employs roughly 120 inmates today who are paid according to the ‘Inmate Pay Schedule’ set forth in 15 California Code of Regulations § 8006 (d)(1):
| Skill Level | Step I | Step II | Step III |
| Level 1 Leadperson (AA) |
$0.80 | $0.90 | $1.00 |
| Level 2 Special Skills (A) |
0.70 | 0.75 | 0.80 |
| Level 3 Technician (B) |
0.60 | 0.65 | 0.70 |
| Level 4 Semi-Skill (C) |
0.50 | 0.55 | 0.60 |
| Level 5 Laborer/Entry Trainee (D) |
0.35 | 0.40 | 0.45 |
These men are wildly efficient, producing ~50,000 plates per day! Read about them a bit more in this 2018 KCRA article.
Beyond California, it would seem that a huge majority of US license plates are made in a small number of prisons, but we haven't confirmed this ourselves yet… If you can help point us in the direction of more meaningful data, please write us!
Where's the money go?
If you mean the proceeds from the sale of these license plate frames, it's all being donated to the Prisoner Reentry Network, which is "dedicated to promoting successful transitions from incarceration to the community through advocacy, public education, community building, and distributing information to people anticipating release."
We are not aiming to recoup sunk costs related to production and set-up, so except for sales tax added to your order and the cost of shipping (~$4.50 per package) which is built into the price, every dollar will be donated. If you'd like to donate more on your own, we encourage you do to so.
If you're looking for more information about different reentry and transition programs in California, the Lionheart Foundation has put together this very helpful pdf. CALPIA itself also offers similar resources and services through their Transition to Employment Program and Industry Employment Program.
It's important to note that CALPIA does not profit from its work for the DMV, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, or any of its other customers. CALPIA is a state entity with the following as one of its statutory objectives:
If you're asking about the wages paid to prisoners making CA license plates, it's perhaps helpful to remember that the hourly rates listed above are before taxes and deductions, which can be particularly onerous for inmates across the country. CALPIA participants contribute 40% of their wages to pay court-ordered restitution and fees. More information about deductions, restitution fines and direct order collections for California inmates in 15 California Code of Regulations § 3097, 3099.
What are these license plate frame advocating for?
Folsom Frames was designed a public awareness project. As it's the DMV which is contracting CALPIA for license plates, then passing those savings along in the form of lower vehicle registration fees, every motorist in California, and in a broader sense, every taxpayer in California is complicit in this system. Every car carries a bit of our prison system on it.
While we are not opposed to the idea of employment or work opportunities for inmates, nor to the mission of CALPIA, we acknowledge the implicit tensions in designing essential state systems that rely on the labor of a prison population we should be working to reduce.
Wait, California license plates are made at Folsom or these frames are?
California license plates are made by inmates at Folsom State Prison, which is located in Folsom, CA, ~20 miles northeast of Sacramento. These license plate frames are not printed by prisoners, but are made at a printshop located in Folsom, CA. This is just a small, confusing, conceptual gesture.
These frames seem relatively expensive… are they fancier than most?
No, quite the opposite. Thin, sometimes uneven silkscreen printing on plastic frames, no raised lettering. The pricing reflects the fact that shipping costs are built in and the reality that producing and selling relatively small runs is comparatively expensive. As it is, these prices don't reflect or cover all costs associated with this project. We're hoping to reduce costs in subsequent print runs.
Who's behind this?
My name's Felipe Lima. I make documentaries and commercials. I love objects that seem to be aware of their own existence and gesture at themselves…
How can I get in touch?