Prison Blues
Last checked: Nov 7, 2026
The full answer: Is Prison Blues Made in USA?Verification Summary
American Score
Manufacturing Location
Pendleton, OR
Headquarters
Salem, OR
Founded
1989
Products Verified
5 products
Evidence Breakdown
Factory Location Specificity
Specific factory city identified
Website Claim
The brand's website says it makes its products in the USA
Manufacturing History
Long record of US manufacturing
Known Overseas Production
No imported lines on record
Verification Notes
Denim workwear brand manufactured since 1989 at a dedicated 47,000-square-foot factory at Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution in Pendleton, OR. Provides work and training opportunities for adults in custody. Website states the brand has manufactured American-made denim products for over thirty years.
Brand evidence is re-checked on a rolling cycle
Quick Picks
Manufacturing Profile
Prison Blues manufactures at its factory in Pendleton, OR. Founded in 1989, 37 years ago. The 5 Prison Blues listings here sit in clothing & apparel.
Verification tier
95% average
Very High: strong brand evidence plus city-level origin statements for the products
Factory evidence
Specific city
Pendleton, OR
Catalog breadth
5 products
1 category
How we verified Prison Blues
Most recent check: Nov 7, 2026
From the brand's website
US-manufacturing statement found on prisonblues.com · checked Nov 7, 2026
Store listings
We read the live store listing for 5 of the 5 Prison Blues products on this page (most recently Nov 7, 2026). 1 of them states US origin on the listing itself:
Ongoing monitoring
We scan news for factory closures, offshoring and ownership changes. Last scan Oct 31, 2026: no change found.
These checks are run by our software on a schedule: brand websites are re-read about every three weeks, store listings weekly, and news is scanned monthly. Every flag is checked against its original source before anything on this page changes. How the American Score works.
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Prison Blues was founded in 1989 and makes the products listed here in Pendleton, OR. The site lists 5 verified American-made Prison Blues products.
A factory inside a Pendleton prison
In 1989 the State of Oregon set out to create work-skills programs for adults in custody at Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution in Pendleton. A 47,000 square foot factory was built there, and the Prison Blues factory began operating. It is run by Oregon Corrections Enterprises (OCE), and the brand's tagline is Made on the Inside to be Worn on the Outside.
Workers go through a selection process modeled on private-sector hiring and are trained by managers with private industry experience. OCE says participants are 56% more likely to keep good conduct while incarcerated and 50% less likely to return to prison. Fabric falloff from cutting is sewn into denim grocery bags and other accessories.
Which pieces carry a US origin line
The double-knee work jeans page says they are made in America from 14.5 oz 100% cotton denim, and the work shirt pages say the shirts are crafted in America. That covers the rigid and double-knee jeans, the hickory stripe button-front and half-zip shirts, and the outerwear.
The brand also sells logo T-shirts and sweatshirts. The pages we read for those carry no origin line, so we cannot say they are sewn in Pendleton. The site also does not say where the denim fabric is woven. If you want a garment sewn at the prison factory, stick to the jeans, work shirts and jackets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Prison Blues made in the USA?
Yes, for the 5 products listed here. Prison Blues manufactures in Pendleton, OR. Prison Blues jeans, work shirts and jackets are sewn by adults in custody at an Oregon Corrections Enterprises factory inside Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution in Pendleton, Oregon.
Where is Prison Blues manufactured?
Prison Blues is headquartered in Salem, OR. Manufacturing takes place in Pendleton, OR.
What Prison Blues products can I buy?
The site lists 5 Prison Blues products in Clothing & Apparel. Each one links to a store that sells it.
When was Prison Blues founded?
Prison Blues was founded in 1989. Prison Blues jeans, work shirts and jackets are sewn by adults in custody at an Oregon Corrections Enterprises factory inside Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution in Pendleton, Oregon.
Where can I buy Prison Blues products?
Every Prison Blues product listed here links to a store that sells it, either a large online retailer or the brand's own shop.
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