Mar. 1--In a room away from the jagged razor wire and cells at SCI-Luzerne, the maximum-security state prison in Fayette County, Tony Miller looks over an array of license plates on the wall.

He says manufacturing technology has improved the quality of Pennsylvania license plates so much since most of the plates were made that they no longer have to be replaced every decade.

All the state's license plates are produced at the Luzerne Township lockup, said Miller, who oversees manufacturing enterprises at all state prisons.

In January, a state law lifted a requirement that PennDOT issue new plates to motorists every 10 years. Without the change, new plates would have started going out this year -- at PennDOT's expense.

"The main reason is ... evolving technology, and the plates today are of higher quality and are more durable," said PennDOT's Danielle Klinger. "So we're not seeing as many illegible license plates as we once did."

PennDOT officials estimate an immediate savings of about $55 million.

Instead of automatic replacement, the mechanic who is inspecting a vehicle will decide whether a license plate is legible. If it is not, the mechanic will give the vehicle owner a card to present to PennDOT for a free replacement plate.

The last time the plates were replaced -- just under 10 million from 1999 to 2001 -- it cost PennDOT about $32 million, Klinger said. Those plates were made during 12-hour shifts at the state prison in Pittsburgh.

There are about 11.2 million vehicle owners in Pennsylvania today.

In addition to all the state's plates, about 70 inmates who work on an assembly line at the 2,000-bed prison near Brownsville produce some metal products for the Italian air force.

Inmates monitor machines that apply reflective sheeting material to aluminum strips as they come off a rolled-up ball. One pound of aluminum yields four to five license plates.

Machines emboss the plates, then ink is applied to the letters and numbers. Twenty-two letters are used; I, O, U and Q are excluded to avoid confusion with other letters. Equipment punches holes so the plate can be affixed to a vehicle. A protective layer of sheeting is applied to extend the plate's life.

Prisoners use computers to design custom vanity plates.

The finished plates are packed in sequential order, 100 per box.

The inmates earn 19 cents to 42 cents per hour, with the potential of a 70-cent bonus for attendance, quality performance and profitability reasons, Miller said. They work about 5 1/2 hours daily, including time for return trips to their cells for counts.

Work is considered an opportunity for some 130 inmates who produce metal furniture and signs as well as license plates.

"It can be anyone from lifers ... to less serious offenders," said Susan McNaughton, state corrections department spokeswoman.

Under the watch of corrections officials, inmates sign out tools for a work shift. The tools must be accounted for before prisoners can leave the work area, said Rick McLay, who supervises furniture-making. The scrap metal inventory is monitored.

Workers can lose a job for misconduct and prison officials said most inmates don't want that.

"Once they get a job here, it's a real behavior stimulus for them," Miller said.

Fred Borcheck, who manages the manufacturing facilities, said an inmate who is bounced from the line loses money and the freedom that comes with a job.

Miller said up to 1,550 inmates who work for Pennsylvania Corrections Industries often have few or no job skills and no sense of what it takes to do a job well. Some have never worked during daylight hours, he added.

"Many of the jobs we have for them, they may not be able to use on the outside. But more is involved than that, such as building a work ethic, getting up at a certain time, doing a good job," Miller said.

Miller said the change in state law won't have much effect on the number of plates made -- but the poor economy will.

"What we depend on is auto sales," Miller said.

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