prisoners; contracts; telecommute

HB 4015 amends Arizona law to establish a new category of prison labor: telecommuting contracts between private companies and the state prison system. It requires a minimum wage of $2.00 per hour for prisoners working remotely under these contracts, higher than the standard $1.50 limit for regular prison labor. This directly affects prisoners participating in private telecommuting programs, who will receive higher compensation but remain classified as non-employees without workers' compensation rights. The bill also updates deduction rules for earnings from these contracts, including mandatory contributions to transition programs and court costs.