"Prisoners in Minnesota are earning less than a dollar an hour making products for Disney. That’s according to organizers and former inmates who gathered at a press conference in December to share what they’ve learned — or experienced firsthand — about the exploitative prison labor system in Minnesota.

Organizers with the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee called the press conference last month to update the public about their campaign to end what they call prison slavery.

The Minnesota constitution allows for exactly that – slavery as part of a punishment for a crime. Under article one, section two of the state’s constitution, involuntary servitude is barred unless someone has been convicted of a crime. Under the statute, prisoners can be subjected to unpaid and grossly underpaid work.

Through a subcontractor, Anagram International LLC, Disney has taken advantage of this law to extract nearly-free labor from the state’s inmates, paying them $0.90 an hour to fold large Mylar balloons, according to organizers of the event and two inmates who shared their firsthand experience."

https://unicornriot.ninja/2026/slavery-is-legal-in-minnesota-these-groups-are-working-to-change-that/

#USA #Minnesota #Minneapolis #SlaveLabor #PrisonLabor #WageSlavery

Slavery is Legal in Minnesota. These Groups are Working to Change That. - UNICORN RIOT

Minneapolis, MN – Prisoners in Minnesota are earning less than a dollar an hour making products for Disney. That’s according to organizers and former inmates who gathered at a press conference in December to share what they’ve learned — or experienced firsthand — about the exploitative prison labor system in Minnesota. Organizers with the Incarcerated […]

UNICORN RIOT

Prisoners in Missouri Report Being Forced to Shovel Snow in Subzero Temperatures

Incarcerated people were reportedly punished with administrative segregation or discipline if they refused.

https://murica.website/2026/01/prisoners-in-missouri-report-being-forced-to-shovel-snow-in-subzero-temperatures/

Prisoners in Missouri Report Being Forced to Shovel Snow in Subzero Temperatures – The USA Potato

“Across U.S. prisons, LGBTQ inmates—especially trans women—are disproportionately assigned to clerical jobs: typing, filing, data entry. Staff justify it as ‘they’re good at paperwork’ or ‘less likely to be violent.’ Pay: pennies per hour. Many say it’s forced feminized labor that trades on stereotypes while keeping them visible & vulnerable to harassment.”

#PrisonLabor #TransRights #LGBTQPrisoners #QueerIncarceration

https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/lgbtq-prison-life-office-administrative-work

pl.ugh.im

CA Relies on Incarcerated Firefighters. They Finally Make Federal Minimum Wage.

California relies heavily on incarcerated firefighters to protect life and property, but pays them a pittance. Recently, a major grassroots and legislative push to improve working conditions for incarcerated firefighters enjoyed some success. On October 13, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 247 into law, raising their base pay and doubling the amount by which they can reduce their sentences.

Source

This post has been syndicated from Truthout, where it was published under this address.

CA Relies on Incarcerated Firefighters. They Finally Make Federal Minimum Wage.

It took a grassroots push to win the legislation that offers more pay and an opportunity for reduced prison sentences.

Truthout

Nebraska’s prison labor program ties immigration enforcement to incarceration — raising tough questions about justice, fairness, and profit.

Is this labor… or exploitation?

#Brewminate #Justice #History #Immigration #PrisonLabor

https://brewminate.com/cornhusker-clink-immigration-enforcement-meets-prison-labor/

Cornhusker Clink: Nebraska’s New Immigrant Detention Center

Nebraska’s “Cornhusker Clink” prison camp reflects growing overlap between immigration enforcement and criminal justice.

Brewminate: A Bold Blend of News and Ideas

Todays a good day to resurface the @BrennanCenter analysis on Trump’s Presidency and the the Private Prison Industry.

Mass #deportations, increased #criminalization, & many eager U.S. corporations ready to use #prisonlabor for profit margins. What could possibly go wrong!
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/what-trumps-victory-means-private-prison-industry

What Trump’s Victory Means for the Private Prison Industry

The two largest companies that manage detention centers and correctional facilities are poised to profit from aggressive immigration policies.

Brennan Center for Justice

US #SupremeCourt to review GEO Group's loss in immigrant detainee *#ForcedLabor* [#slavery] case

#SCOTUS on June 2 agreed to decide if #GEOGroup can quickly appeal a judge's ruling denying the #PrivatePrison operator #government #IMMUNITY in a class action claiming #immigrant detainees were forced to work & paid $1 a day.

#immigration #law #CivilRights #HumanRights #exploitation #PenalLabor #PrisonLabor
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-supreme-court-review-geo-groups-loss-immigrant-detainee-forced-labor-case-2025-06-02/

Happy #mayday !! I’ve been working on this assortment of images as part of my #draweveryday efforts, for the SF Bay Area #iww chapter. #sabocats reject the bullshit that is killing us all! #sabotage now! Reach out to your local #industrialworkersoftheworld chapter today and #organize ! Now is the time! #fightfascism #oligarchy #union #unionbusting #cat #blackcat #billionaires #fascism #amazon #prisonlabor

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Happy #mayday !! I’ve been working on this assortment of images as part of my #draweveryday efforts, for the SF Bay Area #iww chapter. #sabocats reject the bullshit that is killing us all! #sabotage now! Reach out to your local #industrialworkersoftheworld chapter today and #organize ! Now is the time! #fightfascism #oligarchy #union #unionbusting #cat #blackcat #billionaires #fascism #amazon #prisonlabor

Today In Labor History April 8, 1864: The 13th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, banning chattel slavery. However, it permitted a continuation of wage slavery and the forced labor of convicts without pay. And on this date in 1911, 128 convict miners, mostly African-Americans jailed for minor offenses, were killed by a massive explosion at the Banner coalmine near Birmingham, Alabama. While the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, which occurred just two weeks earlier, elicited massive public attention and support for the plight of immigrant women working in sweatshop conditions, the Banner explosion garnered almost no public sympathy, probably due to racism and the fact that they were prisoners.

#workingclass #LaborHistory #prison #prisonlabor #racism #coal #mine #immigrants #prisoner #slavelabor #slavery #workplacesafety #alabama #BlackMastadon #triangleshirtwaist #fire #explosion