By Andy Wass

German company Haeftling (German for “prisoner”) made international headlines with the February 2008 opening of its Berlin shop.
 
In an industry where where boycotts and anti-sweatshop campaigns oppose the labor practices of most luxury goods and apparel production companies, Haeftling sets itself apart.

Since 2003, a majority of Haeftling’s products have been designed and made by prison inmates, who earn about five dollars per hour making clothing like jackets, T-shirts, aprons and sweatshirts, as well as some housewares.
 
This is not quite sweatshop labor, though, since inmates seem to benefit from the voluntary program.  Besides earning a little money that they will need when they complete their sentences, sewing sessions helps inmates pass the time and get a little work experience.  The structure of time and activity, even if for just part of a day, gives inmates some semblance of the “normal” life they used to live and will one day rejoin.