
Several smaller (but interconnected) workshops are better than one large one.Two 4 hour work shifts broken up by a couple of hours of free time is much better for prisoner morale than one 7 or 8 hour shift, and the financial losses are fairly minimal. You lose a little efficiency-depending on the layout of your prison, it can take as much as 30 in game minutes for prisoners to get to the workshop and begin work-but your prisoners are much happier for it. Prisoners can later be replaced by janitors to keep the prison clean if you prefer, but these can be researched later. Ensure that laundry rooms and cleaning cupboards are installed and staffed as soon as Prison Labour is available. Dirty uniforms and surroundings do not make prisoners happy, and will result in serious complaints.Once you have researched Prison Labour, convert some of this free time into work, but still ensure that there is sufficient free time available for prisoners to attend to their other needs.It is the only chance you have of making a prison profitable, and riot free. Research Prison Labour as soon as possible. Prisoners also do not attempt to tunnel out of holding cells, so use this to your advantage early until you are ready to tackle potential prisoner escapes.Holding cells can easily be torn down and the space converted into standard cells later (where you will already have beds for them). As long as there are beds, TVs and phones, prisoners will happily remain in a holding cell for several days or weeks, allowing you to work on other things like laundry and workshops as an initial priority.


Ensure that there is one guard stationed in each holding cell to avoid prisoners getting locked in for extended periods of time.
