1. Becoming self-sufficient (and sometimes "profitable")
    
2. Providing inmates with meaningful work experience and income
    
3. Reducing inmate tension, mischief, and idleness
    
4. Providing inmates with a better start upon release
    
5. Providing positive publicity
    
6. Relieving crowding, and
    
7. Providing another inmate management tool, to promote better inmate behavior.

Many agencies have realized enormous benefits from their jail industry programs. 

Agencies that operate jail industries agree that it offers one of the few "win/win" opportunities in corrections. Everyone benefits from a successful industry program—the jail, taxpayers, the community, families...and the inmate. 

The public benefits both financially (low- or no-cost program, less vandalism and property damage in the jail, provision of services or products at a low- or no-cost) and socially (increase likelihood of inmate success on release, reduced overcrowding).

Jail administrators and staff benefit from an improved jail environment (less tension, less damage, less crowding), are provided with a new management tool to encourage positive inmate behavior, and from a more visible and positive public image. Inmates clearly benefit from increased work activities, experience, and sometimes from earnings. Further, as tension, destruction and crowding in the jail is reduced, inmates enjoy a better living environment. For some inmates the industries experience breaks a lifetime of failure--allowing them to secure and keep meaningful employment after release.