FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 52: Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses › Subpart 52.2
FAR 52.222-3 Convict Labor.
The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.
In plain English
This clause generally bars the contractor from using prison inmates to perform the contract. It lists exceptions, such as people on parole or probation, those pardoned or who finished their sentences, and certain authorized work-release participants who meet specific conditions. It matters because using prohibited inmate labor can breach the contract.
Applies to: Contractors performing contracts that include this clause
What it requires
- Do not employ any person serving a court-imposed imprisonment sentence from the listed jurisdictions, except as allowed by the clause's exceptions.
- For authorized work-release workers, ensure they are paid or in an approved voluntary work training program.
- Consult representatives of local union central bodies or similar labor union organizations.
- Ensure the employment does not displace employed workers, is not in skills/crafts/trades with a local surplus of available gainful labor, and does not impair existing service contracts.
Key terms: Convict Labor · sentence of imprisonment · parole · probation · work-release laws
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
As prescribed in 22.202, insert the following clause:
Convict Labor (JUN 2003)
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this clause, the Contractor shall not employ in the performance of this contract any person undergoing a sentence of imprisonment imposed by any court of a State, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(b) The Contractor is not prohibited from employing persons—
(1) On parole or probation to work at paid employment during the term of their sentence;
(2) Who have been pardoned or who have served their terms; or
(3) Confined for violation of the laws of any of the States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, or the U.S. Virgin Islands who are authorized to work at paid employment in the community under the laws of such jurisdiction, if—
(i) The worker is paid or is in an approved work training program on a voluntary basis;
(ii) Representatives of local union central bodies or similar labor union organizations have been consulted;
(iii) Such paid employment will not result in the displacement of employed workers, or be applied in skills, crafts, or trades in which there is a surplus of available gainful labor in the locality, or impair existing contracts for services;
(iv) The rates of pay and other conditions of employment will not be less than those paid or provided for work of a similar nature in the locality in which the work is being performed; and
(v) The Attorney General of the United States has certified that the work-release laws or regulations of the jurisdiction involved are in conformity with the requirements of Executive Order 11755, as amended by Executive Orders 12608 and 12943.
(End of clause)
Sections it refers to
- 22.202 Contract clause.
Sections that refer to it
- 22.202 Contract clause.
- 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—Commercial Products and Commercial Services.
- 52.213-4 Terms and Conditions—Simplified Acquisitions (Other Than Commercial Products and Commercial Services).
- 237.7204 Format and clauses for educational service agreements.
← 52.222-2 Payment for Overtime Premiums. · 52.222-4 Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards—Overtime Compensation. →
Rule changes for FAR Part 52
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary FAR Overhaul Parts 8, 12, 13, 15, 38, 44, and 51 ↗ · proposed 2026-09-18 · comments due 2026-10-19
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 16, 17, and 35 ↗ · proposed 2026-09-18 · comments due 2026-10-19
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 9, 27, and 47 ↗ · proposed 2026-09-18 · comments due 2026-10-19
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 14, 28, 36, and 52 ↗ · proposed 2026-09-18 · comments due 2026-10-19
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 3 and 49 ↗ · proposed 2026-06-23 · comments due 2026-07-23
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 5, 24, and 29 ↗ · proposed 2026-06-23 · comments due 2026-07-23
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 6, 7, 10, 18, 26, 37, and 41 ↗ · proposed 2026-06-23 · comments due 2026-07-23
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 1, 2, 4, 33, 39, 40, and 53 ↗ · proposed 2026-06-23 · comments due 2026-07-23
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.