The aim of this volume is to consider law and practice of prison labour in a comparative and international context. The papers are taken from a seminar held at the Onati International Institute for the Sociology of Law on the 9th and 10th of May 1996.;Six main areas were discussed. Firstly, questions were asked about imprisonment and involuntary servitude, whether prisoners have to work, and if so, what limits were there on this duty. Subsequent questions addressed the prisoners' right to work, whether there was any connection between work and release, the links between work in prison and national labour law, and compensation of prison labour.;The sixth and final set of questions asked participants writing on prison labour in the national context to consider also whether international human rights law had any significant influence on prison labour.