St. Petersburg City Council Chambers in St. Petersburg, Florida on Nov. 18, 2014. Credit: cityofstepet / Flickr
The St. Pete City Council meeting held on Aug. 6, 2026 was packed with items. It included updates on U.S. House of Urban Development funds, as well as a presentation previewing an increase in utility rates for next fiscal year that would impact water costs in the city. Additionally, the bulk of the meeting was dedicated to a debate on whether or not the city should pay a three-year-agreement for $420,000 to get paper products from a company that uses prison labor in Florida, which pays between $0.30 and $1.05 to inmate workers, a widely criticized practice deemed a remnant of a slavery economy in this country. It ultimately did not pass with a vote of 5-2.
According to the City Council agenda, this item sought agreement to pay $420,000 to Prison Rehabilitative Industries and Diversified Enterprises, Inc. (PRI Enterprises). The three-year agreement was to supply office paper products for the Procurement and Supply Management Department.
This item had been previously approved through a consent agenda on July 23. It was brought back before City Council for review and approval.
While public comment speakers were few, Alec S Wilcosky, a field representative for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), made a statement. “Agreeing to this contract would be agreeing to a status quo of second-class workers,” Wilkowski said.
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Another St. Pete public speaker, Alfredo Patiño, asked council to vote “no,” saying the company is not operating in a free market and is using incarcerated workers who make cents on the hour. “This is not a legitimate competitive advantage,” Patiño said.
The issue for council members who voted against the item became clear after Randy Fisher of PRI Enterprises shared how much inmates working for them were being paid: 30 cents to $1.05 an hour. Fisher said the inmates were not forced to work.
Council Member Brandi Gabbard (District 2) asked PRI Enterprises what its profit margin was. The executives said it depended on many variables but was around 20%.
Fisher explained that PRI Enterprises pays inmates depending on the national average for incarcerated workers. Moreover, he noted that it served as a skill-development platform.
When Council Member Mike Harting (District 3) asked if they had any competition, Fisher said they can’t have competitors by law.
Council Member Corey Givens (District 7) asked city officials what would happen if the item was not approved. Where would they source the office paper products from? City Administrator Rob Gerdes said they had other options and were ready to move on if the item didn’t pass.
Givens said he has spoken to people impacted by the prison system who have gone through work programs.
“For those who have nobody and they still have to live and maintain… there are still costs associated with prison,” Givens said. He added that it is important to understand people looking for second chances. He also asked for further conversations and asked PRI Enterprises if they could do better with wages.
“I really want to give these inmates more of the pie,” Fisher said to Givens’ comment.
Council Member Richie Floyd (District 8), who pulled the item for discussion from the consent agenda, said PRI was probably doing its best within a terrible situation, noting that the prison system is not good.
Floyd said that using prison labor was a remnant of slavery. The councilmember also said employing prison labor also goes against the National Labor Relations Act.
“People should have basic dignity no matter what,” Floyd said. “I just don’t think this is right for the City of St. Petersburg.”
Gabbard said she did not support the city entering into an agreement directly related to the exemptions created by the 13th Amendment. “Here we are… kind of shrouding this and call it a benefit,” Gabbard said.
City Council rejected the measure 5-2. Council Members Brandi Gabbard, Richie Floyd, Copley Gerdes, Deborah Figgs-Sanders and Gina Driscoll voted no. Councilmembers Mike Harting and Corey Givens voted yes. Council Member Lisset Hanewicz (District 4) was absent in the meeting.
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This article appears in August 13 – 19, 2026.
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