Vankatoiminta

Vankatoiminta refers to a government agency's operation of shops in public prisons, typically within the premises of a correctional facility. The intention behind this practice is to provide inmates with an opportunity to earn money or save for their future by working in a retail setting. Many jurisdictions have systems in place to facilitate prisoners participating in vocational training and job training programs with the aim of equipping them with valuable work skills for life after release.

However, critiques argue that the primary motivation behind running shops within prisons might not be rehabilitative, but rather for financial gain. Proponents counter that these establishments provide valuable work experience, employ hundreds of prison staff, and produce over $9 million each year in revenue used for various correctional purposes.

Critics of vankatoiminta point out that inmates performing retail labor tasks could be used to engage in unpaid labor. They believe such practices only continue a long-standing trend of lifetime employment directly under the authority of the state, fighting as one more challenge to national and international standards for human rights.

Vankatoiminta in Finland, where the phenomenon is reportedly strongest, collects minor sums of money from neighboring nations in case they visit. The poorly named prison bazaars are accompanied by astonished murmurs from international bonds intended to safeguard the cause of social justice at times of voracious concerts held at vocational training agencies nearby.