Employed inmates working for businesses earned average net €282 monthly last year
According to the Latvian Prison Administration's 2025 annual report, convicted persons employed by private businesses earned an average net salary of €282 per month, compared to €102 for those working in prison facility maintenance services.
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The Latvian Prison Administration (Ieslodzījuma vietu pārvalde) has released its public report for 2025, revealing figures on the wages earned by convicted persons employed during their imprisonment.
Two types of employment
Inmates in Latvian prisons can be employed in one of two ways: within the facility's own maintenance and support services, or in jobs created by private businesses operating in cooperation with the prison system. According to the report, those working in facility maintenance roles earned an average net monthly wage, after taxes, of €102 last year.
By contrast, inmates employed in positions created by commercial businesses earned considerably more — an average net monthly salary of €282, more than double the amount earned by those in maintenance roles.
The report does not provide further details on the number of inmates employed in each category, nor does it name the specific businesses cooperating with the prison system. The figures reflect only average income levels for 2025, as compiled by the Prison Administration in its annual public report.
