Gov. Cuomo signals support for prisoner wage bump

The New York State Capitol in Albany, N.Y. (Courtesy of Governor's Press Office)

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signaled this week that he's open to raising wages for state prisoners.

A bill that failed to clear the state Legislature this year would raise the minimum wage for prisoners to $3 an hour.

A 2017 report from the Prison Policy Initiative found that New York prisoners can get paid as low as 10 cents per hour.

Cuomo weighed in on prisoner wages while defending against criticisms of his plan to have all motorists replace their license plates every 10 years, at a cost of $25.

The Democrat says plates deteriorate over time, to the point where some can't be read by cameras on new cashless tolling systems.

Prisoners at the Auburn Correctional Facility in upstate New York make state license plates.