Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme, Mr MacAskill said measures such as community based sentences for low level offenders could be used to help address labour market shortages and reduce the prison population, which is at an all-time high.
"We have a labour shortage and we also have major construction problems at a time when we have record numbers in our prisons.”
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"We, as a government, want to change the 'bed and board' culture that exists,” he said.
"People who commit less serious offences compound the damage they've done to communities by having us, as taxpayers, provide them with three square meals and free bed and board.
"We want them to repay, through the sweat of their brow, for the damage they have done to our communities and hopefully, start contributing through their taxes rather than being a drain on ours."
Speaking to the BBC, Paul Martin, Scottish Labour's community safety spokesman, said the idea insults the construction industry which should not be a dumping ground for people serving time.
"Victims of crime want offenders to serve their sentence - that means being in prison and not being rewarded with employment,” he said.
"I also think offenders should not be given jobs over law-abiding members of the public.
"Community safety is of paramount concern and offenders should be incarcerated and not given jobs."
(GK/KMcA)
