Common Sense Prison Work and Victim Restitution Act of 1998

Common Sense Prison Work and Victim Restitution Act of 1998 - Amends the Crime Control Act of 1990 to require convicted inmates confined in Federal prisons, jails, and other detention facilities to engage in: (1) work for not less than 50 hours weekly; and (2) job-training and educational and life skills preparation study. Allows nonprofit entities to utilize the services of prisoners if opportunities otherwise provided by law for inmates to work are insufficient to meet such requirements.

Directs the Attorney General to submit legislative recommendations to the Congress to permit Federal prisoners to perform work for private employers while minimizing the economic impact on the private sector of this expansion of the use of prison labor.

Establishes in the Treasury a Fund into which shall be placed all proceeds and wages from prison labor. Directs that such Fund be used as follows: (1) one third to offset the costs of prisoner incarceration; (2) one third for victim restitution; (3) one tenth for payment into the individual prisoner's account to be paid upon his or her release; and (4) the remainder for payments to States and local jurisdictions that operate correctional facilities with prison work requirements that are substantially the same as Federal requirements for programs to benefit the dependents of prisoners.

(Sec. 4) Directs the Bureau of Prisons to ensure that Federal prisoners: (1) do not possess, view, or read pornographic or sexually explicit materials; (2) are subject not less often than once each month to a combination of random and regularly scheduled testing for drugs and illegal substances; (3) do not possess microwave ovens, hot plates, toaster ovens, televisions (unless provided by the prison for group viewing), or VCRs; (4) do not possess or listen to music which contains lyrics that are violent, sexually explicit, or vulgar or that glamorize gang membership or activities, demean women, or disrespect law enforcement; (5) do not view cable television which is not educational in nature; and (6) do not engage in sexual activity.

(Sec. 5) Directs the Attorney General to: (1) report to the Congress, one year after this Act's enactment date, on anticipated annual costs, for each of the five following fiscal years, of implementing a monthly drug testing program for all Federal prisoners; and (2) establish a program to utilize dogs in inmate work areas, living quarters, and delivery areas to detect narcotics (authorizes appropriations).

(Sec. 7) Amends Federal criminal code provisions regarding substance abuse treatment to require the Attorney General to ensure through the use of all appropriate and available incentives and sanctions that eligible prisoners undergo a program of substance abuse treatment.

(Sec. 8) Requires (currently, authorizes for a limited period if the prisoner consents) the Bureau to place in a shock incarceration program any person who is sentenced to a term of imprisonment, with an exception. Limits the initial portion of the term of imprisonment to four weeks.

Directs that an inmate who, in the Bureau's judgment, either does not successfully complete the required period of shock incarceration or is physically or mentally unfit to participate, be confined to that inmate's cell for not less than 23 hours each day during the portion of the term of imprisonment that would otherwise be spent in shock incarceration and, during the remainder of that term, be granted no privileges other than those required by law.