American Slavery 2.0?

[VectorVictor]

Just got done reading an article via FARK.com regarding for-profit prisons and how they're being used to deluge our country with cheap goods (despite restrictions in place) and how they're quickly becoming the 21st century's version of work camps or debtors prisons.

 

Article Link

 

Of note:

 

...generating over $2.4 billion dollars a year in revenue, and encompassing some 600,000 state, federal and local inmates, there seems to be no end in sight to this flourishing enterprise some have called the Prison Industrial Complex.

 

Men who are in prison for non-violent offenses, that have gotten caught up in the never ending ‘War on Drugs’, mandatory minimum sentencing statues, “three strikes” laws and increasingly ending up in prison for unpaid debts, many times child support payments they are unable to make due to lack of employment, are by far and away the almost exclusive fodder...

 

And yes, we're aware there's been prison work for some time--chain gangs working on public works projects and the like. But these were run by the state, and not private interests, so there was some semblance of public accountability and scrutiny. However...

 

 

 

That all began to change in 1979 after Congress passed the ‘Private Sector/Prison Industry Enhancement Certification (PIE) program‘ under the Justice System Improvement Act. The Congressional program essentially deregulated the use of inmates for labor, which not only enabled private companies to use prison labor, but also heavily encouraged it. PIE also lifted some restrictions on the sale of goods within the US that were produced with prison labor.

 

And their pay is jack and squat--of note:

 

 

While Federal regulations stipulates that prisons and companies must “pay wages at a rate not less than that paid for similar work in the same locality’s private sector,” the statue also allows for ‘allowable wage deductions’ of up to 80% of the prisoner’s wages. These deductions are for room and board, child support, victim programs and taxes. Through other loopholes in the PIE act, public prisons and “for profit” private prisons have found ways to deduct or withhold almost all of the remaining inmate’s wages.

 

Today, after these ‘allowable wage deductions’, inmate wages rage from .17 cents an hour on the low end, to perhaps $3-4 dollars a day on the high end.

 

Now, this is fine and dandy, but if you don't want to work, then you have a choice to opt out, right? Well, not exactly...

 

 

By law, except in Federal prisons and the State of California, the inmates are not forced to work, and can remain in their cells during the work day. The catch is, if prisoners refuse to work, the prison can take away their canteen and telephone privileges, move the inmates into solitary confinement or disciplinary housing and most importantly halt the inmate’s ‘good time credit’, that can reduce their prison sentence length by up to 40%.

 

And the people ending up here aren't your hardened criminals--only non-violent criminals are allowed. We're talking 'War on Drugs' folks, missing child support payments, and people that come up against the 'three strikes' laws in various states.

 

And here's a list from the article of companies, past and present, that used this form of labor:

 

 

Here is a list of some of the major corporations past and present that have used or continue to use American slave prison labor:

 

• 
  
  • IBM
    
  • Boeing
    
  • Motorola
    
  • Microsoft
    
  • AT&T Wireless
    
  • Texas Instrument
    
  • Dell
    
  • Compaq
    
  • Honeywell
    
  • Hewlett-Packard
    
  • Nortel
    
  • Lucent Technologies
    
  • 3Com
    
  • Intel
    
  • Northern Telecom
    
  • TWA
    
  • Nordstrom’s
    
  • Revlon
    
  • Macy’s
    
  • Pierre Cardin
    
  • Target Stores Inc
    
  • K-Mart
    
  • Ace Hardware
    
  • J.C. Penney
    
  • MicroJet
    
  • Nike
    
  • Lockhart Technologies, Inc.
    
  • United Vision Group
    
  • Chatleff Controls
    
  • Eddie Bauer
    
  • Planet Hollywood
    
  • Redwood Outdoors
    
  • Wilson Sporting Goods
    
  • Union Bay, Elliot Bay
    
  • Washington Marketing Group
    
  • Omega Pacific
    
  • Victoria’s Secret
    
  • Best Western Hotels
    
  • Honda
    
  • Kwalu, Inc.
    
  • McDonald’s
    
  • Hawaiian Tropical Products
    
  • Burger King
    
  • “Prison Blues” jeans line
    
  • New York, New York Hotel/Casino
    
  • Impereal Palace Hotel/Casino
    
  • “No Fear” Clothing Line
    
  • C.M.T. Blues
    
  • Konica
    
  • Allstate
    
  • Merrill Lynch
    
  • Shearson Lehman
    
  • Louisiana Pacific
    
  • Parke-Davis
    
  • Upjohn
    
  • British Petroleum

Add to this the handing over of prisons en masse to private corporate interests, as is the norm anymore for cash-strapped states (see AZ, TX), and we're seeing a very disturbing trend here IMO.

[HSKR]

So what you are saying is that American prisoners that make stuff for us are getting treated better then regular Chinese citizens that make stuff for us?

 

Remember that next time you pull out the ipod.

[MLB 51]

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time. As an aside. I know a few dead beat dad's who refuse to work or change job's frequently to avoid paying child support.

[gobiggergoredder]

I love how this article immediately sets the foundation that inmates are victims.

 

I have actually thought about this quite a bit before. Why don't we have inmates make products/services that don't compete with things currently manufactured domestically? I don't want to go Shawshank and compete with jobs currently held by Americans.

 

Put them in a boring cell if they don't want to work. Offer cable, phone, rec privileges that only someone with the means to pay for it could have.....kind of like the real world.

[carlfense]

I really don't have a big problem with this. Punishment isn't supposed to be pleasant.

 

 

Now if you're arguing that we should treat drug addicts rather than throwing them in a cell I would agree.

[MLB 51]

I really don't have a big problem with this. Punishment isn't supposed to be pleasant.

 

 

Now if you're arguing that we should treat drug addicts rather than throwing them in a cell I would agree.

Agree. Drug addicts should get treatment instead. The access to drug's in prison is pretty easy.

[redblooded]

I really don't have a big problem with this. Punishment isn't supposed to be pleasant.

 

 

Now if you're arguing that we should treat drug addicts rather than throwing them in a cell I would agree.

 

I agree with both, however, using them as a nearly free labor source for anyone other then the state that charged them seems wrong. and wait until big business figures this crap out, "hey we can get free labor, lets not only lobby for no taxes, but harsher penalties for those in/headed too jail *FREE LABOR* whoohoo!." If the state wants to use them to print liscence plates and pick up litter whatever, but if they are joining the work force without work release and fair wages there's a problem.

[HSKR]

I really don't have a big problem with this. Punishment isn't supposed to be pleasant.

 

 

Now if you're arguing that we should treat drug addicts rather than throwing them in a cell I would agree.

 

I agree with both, however, using them as a nearly free labor source for anyone other then the state that charged them seems wrong. and wait until big business figures this crap out, "hey we can get free labor, lets not only lobby for no taxes, but harsher penalties for those in jail *FREE LABOR* whoohoo!." If the state wants to use them to print liscence plates and pick up litter whatever, but if they are joining the work force without work release and fair wages there's a problem.

 

That's a good point, plus how can a competitor make if it's competition is using free labor. I have no problem with prisoners working. I would rather see them earn no money and instead every day they work an 8 hour day is one day they get off their sentence. That would be good motivation to rehabilitate in my opinion. First and foremost, they should be working to reduce any prison costs they can. I know it wouldn't work in every area, but how about farms that prisoners could help grow their own food for example.

[MLB 51]

There is a prison in Oklahoma that grows some of it's own food. They also have a ranch that prisoner's work on.

[Sub-Husker]

Crapitalism at its finest!

[strigori]

For profit prisions are a very dangerous slope. And one we are already too far down. They are for punishment and to protect society, not to make a company money. We already have more than enough issues with corrupt politicians and businessmen we really don't want to put slavery on the to do list for the greedy bastards

[VectorVictor]

There is a prison in Oklahoma that grows some of it's own food. They also have a ranch that prisoner's work on.

 

I have no problem with this or the 'traditional' public works (e.g. license plate stamping, trash pickup, road repair) that we've seen.

 

I do have a problem with punishing prisoners with things like solitary confinement and lack of visitation rights if they don't want to work, and the privatization of a civil function.

 

And I do have a problem with the recidivism encountered (contrary to the propaganda behind these projects) of spousal/child support and minor drug possession, as it easily lends itself to abuse. One of the readers of this article brought up a judge in New York state that got busted for receiving payouts from one of these privatized prisons (for minors in this case) for handing down consistently harsh punishments meant to supply said prisons with inmates (and thus, income).

[carlfense]

I do agree that there are some problems with for-profit prisons. That changes things a bit.

[Sub-Husker]

I do agree that there are some problems with for-profit prisons.

 

Just like there is problems with for-profit health care.

 

There is money to be made by expanding problems while providing less service, and there is no benit in making the situation better.

[NUance]

I think if I was in prison I'd rather do some job--even a menial job--than just sit around doing nothing.