octopus_inkThe Convict Leasing Forced Labor System
The 13th amendment specifically allows slavery when incarcerated.
Doesn’t mean you’re not an asshole if you are pro-slavery
Doesn’t mean you’re not an asshole if you are pro-slavery
Someone disagreed with this enough to downvote it. Someone alive in 2024. Edit: Now 2!
It could mean they think it’s irrelevant or doesn’t add to discussion, which i could honestly see being the case.
It’s no less relevant than the comment it was in reply to.
This is absolutely true. And, despite being a pacifist, I just say that the only thing that slavers deserve is a free, shallow, public latrine.
Darkassassin07Legal ≠ Right.
Either stay in your country or go through the proper channels. Or work as a field laborer for pennies on the dollar…sounds like there are a couple choices here, no one is forcing people to cross illegally.
This is out of touch and quite inaccurate at the same time
You realize that this can happen to your uncle Cletus and not just illegal immigrants, right? Lol I’m going to assume not, based on your answer. I’m sorry that your parents, yourself, and your school district failed to educate you - there’s still information out here though, just look around. Ask for help if you need to, there’s lots of adults around.
I’ve been to prison and to be honest… When you have a job in there that pays usually 60 to 70 cents an hour, it’s so much better than sitting on your ass and calling your friends/family asking for a handout…It sounds crazy, but after a while you literally crave a purpose/job.
I definitely understand that and I’ve seen that sentiment over and over in news/documentaries about such topics. People like to be busy, work, have meaning, purpose. Activate the mind, pass time. It does not mean that the people should be exploited even if it’s beneficial to them.
I have spent just several days in jail and I know that time. fuckin. crawls.
What do you think about community service?
I think that you need to bring a person understanding and reasoning first and foremost when it comes to crime and punishment. Rehabilitation and education come to mind. If the offender hasn’t mentally changed or grown, it may be unlikely that any benefit from the service time is realized, though it could still lead to it. Change can be prompted from different angles.
People don’t need to be subject to “extended community service” simply because there may be a silver lining somewhere. There are many people locked up for crimes they didn’t commit, and many punishments do not fit the crime, so allowing a grand exploitation scheme still fucked up and not some Disney magic where people learn lessons and find some quirky meaning.
JackGreenEarthA purpose != a job. Capitalism has tried to equate the two, but it is incorrect
I’m going to break it down into easier concepts. You get bored out of your god damn skull and you want to do anything to pass the time and get out of your cell.
The point is that because of the lack of illegal immigrants, they now need to use prisoners as slaves instead.
I’m not opposed, yeah I read the post wrong
What about children who were brought across the busted with their family illegally. They were forced.
They aren’t thrown in prison or forced to work either now are they?
Either stay in your country or go through the proper channels. Or work as a field laborer for pennies on the dollar…sounds like there are a couple choices here, no one is forcing people to cross illegally.
In your rush to dunk on folks who have made a difficult decision at a low point in their likely quite difficult lives, you failed to actually read what you replied to. But I’m guessing your response is now “they are criminals so they have no rights, and so who cares about their humanity.”
Key word is decision here. Do decision and slavery go together? Should we let some slide and enforce on others?
So you didn’t read the meme still, or are we changing topics now? I’m interested to hear your defense of slavery.
First, riddle me this and I’ll decide whether to engage with you or not. Is breaking the law a choice? I’m not debating whether the laws are right or wrong.
First, riddle me this and I’ll decide whether to engage with you or not.
Don’t worry, I’ve already made that decision for you. Good Day!
Will u b my fren
This is what total total institutionalization looks like, folks.
Since there is literally no activity one can engage in without breaking some law or another in the US? No.
R u a bad boy/girl
They’re literally illegalizing porn and being gay
Illegalizing??? Is that like I’m going to unalive the god damn shit out of you? If you really believe all that garbage fear propaganda you probably need to call 911 immediately.
I did read it wrong 😂 my bad
It’s not OK to treat the undocumented like slaves either FWIW.
We treat our own people like slaves, what makes them so special?
We treat our own people like slaves, what makes them so special?
You are super close to seeing the actual point.
You’re close to the point, just keep on down that path a little farther
That it’s ok to let prisoners work to pay for their own housing and food instead of the taxpayers?
That maybe we shouldn’t be treating anyone like that and that if we are going to have people work, yes even prisoners, should be paid a fair rate instead of pennies on the dollar.
I’m gonna pass on that and I’ve been locked up working those jobs. What are we treating them like? They have a choice…If you don’t want to, they don’t make you but believe me…you want those jobs…The fair rate is calculated after working in the cost of your housing, a victims compensation fund, your food and medical care… plus you get a reduction on your sentence and you aren’t institutionalized as bad…you never thought about that did you Toby? Now get to picking that cotton boy!
Yes, you just seem like such a good person.
I’m gonna stick with we should treat all people as people, not property.
Especially because in America there is a damn good chance they have done nothing wrong.
I’m definitely not a good person.and I hope you never meet the majority of the people I was around…Sure a few of them might be innocent of what they were serving time for but they have done a lot more than what they were caught doing and a lot of them spend their time networking with others in their trade and learn how to not make mistakes the next time.
You are confusing paid labor by choice with forced labor under fear of solitary.
Both exist, ones less bad. People are talking about the forced labor thing though, not the “working the kitchens” for 3$ a day thing.
I was in a discussion with someone else about a different subject.It would help if you read all my damn posts. But labor vs solitary is a choice therefore not forced bitch boy if you want to get technical
Well honestly I tried putting myself into this position mentally, to figure out how I might react. Would I refuse and take the punishment on principle? Do I think I’m strong enough to go through solitary for an extended period of time without permanent damage mentally?
The problem for me is that in that scenario I would feel that my punishment is prison, the loss of freedom, and that I was not sentenced to either slave labor or solitary confinement, both of which I consider immoral under any condition.
There is technically a choice, but that seems pointlessly reductive. I’d have to ask you if you feel like someone given the choice between losing their leg or arm would then be more responsible for the decision than the person who cut the limb off?
I think there is some distinction to be made between free action and reaction. If you are put in a position where you are forced to make a choice, then its not just the individuals fault for the choice they make.
Where I’m from in the US…You get time off your sentence, a better chance at parole, and a small check at the end of month depending on what you were doing…if you are lucky, you get to be outside on a golf course or a dog pound…I think mine was around 67 bucks a month…It’s a no brainer for most people unless you just like sitting around watching TV and listening to people bicker/fight/od all day. Yoda, you think you are?
Well I will say ive done that last part, its not so bad playing cards and watching tv all day, what’s hard is not having any control of who’s around you and where they go. If you end up with considerate people its not so bad.
I dont think the choice is between hanging out in the rec room or working for too little pay. We are talking about specifically when inmates are forced to work, or endure punishments.
queermunist she/herProfits are being made off of prison labor! That can only mean the amount they produce is greater than what they receive from the state. So they’re not just working for food and housing - they’re working to make someone else richer.
I’m not saying this is not true but profit is made off all labor. Show me some good sources when you get time, I am genuinely interested
If you want an example, the hellhole prison nicknamed “Angola” (because it’s full of black people haha so funny) is a good case study for why this is slavery and not just prisoners paying their way through prison.
They’re forced to do work or get solitary confinement, make $0.02/hr under inhumane conditions, punish people who get heat stroke, don’t provide shade or fans or clean water (literally, they have to drink dirty water if they don’t use their teeny wages to buy water) or anything, in temperatures that exceed 113°F in Louisiana. They’re forced to water plants with paper cups, pick rotten fruit by hand, weeding by hand, it’s all totally pointless shit an the cruelty is the point.
Why is it supposed to be funny? It’s true that the majority is black and Angola is a nation in Africa, is that embarrassing to blacks? I asked for a source but I looked it up, It does look pretty tough. So you are saying that because of LAs barbaric shit? It does sound really cruel but it doesn’t sound like it’s pointless work, just sounds like AG work. So you want to use this case to abolish any work opportunities for inmates across the US? When I was in prison, I was everything from a janitor to a highway department worker to a rehab program mentor…Hell at one point I raised 3 dogs that are successful service animals now. these jobs supported me with enough money for basic snacks, phone calls and toiletries… They helped keep me alive because I was facing 20 years at 100% and had a lot of suicidal thoughts. Anyways, what I’m trying to say is that no one is going to listen if you are going for the “all or nothing” stance because a lot of work programs do help.
Why is it supposed to be funny? It’s true that the majority is black and Angola is a nation in Africa, is that embarrassing to blacks?
Calling the slave plantation “Angola” to mock the Black people forced to work there is clearly a reference to America’s history of chattel slavery of Black people.
They helped keep me alive because I was facing 20 years at 100% and had a lot of suicidal thoughts.
The heat at the Angola slave plantation literally kills people and causes them to self harm.
Oh did I mention this is a juvenile prison?
Death to America
So you want to use this case to abolish any work opportunities for inmates across the US?
The concept of prison labor isn’t inherently bad, I have nothing against gulags for example.
I want to abolish the ability to profit from it because it incentivised the creation of the largest prison population on Earth. America is literally the worst on Earth, by the numbers, and it’s solely because of the perverse incentive structure created by for-profit prison slave labor.
I also think much of the work is pointless and sadistic makework (like forcing people to water fields with paper cups in extreme heat - how is that supposed to make people not want to kill themselves?) That’s just torture for the fun of the prison guards, not work.
Louisiana juveniles are suffering dangerous heat and isolation in an old death row facility built for adults, a lawsuit states. Experts say the harm could be irreversible
Children in the custody of Louisiana’s Office of Juvenile Justice being held in a former death row building at an adult prison are suffering dangerous heat conditions and routine isolation in their cells that experts say could cause serious and irreversible harm, according to a federal court filing Monday.
It is kinda funny tbh but you are hyper focused on Angola. You don’t believe juveniles should be punished for rape and murder? So do you do any kind of work or activism against this place or prison labor for profit? Have you ever visited Angola or any prison ? Have you seen these fields? You seem really passionate and I think if you will get your hands dirty then you could help make some significant changes.
You don’t believe juveniles should be punished for rape and murder?
Being in prison is already punishment. Torturing them in the heat and Sun is just pointless sadism.
So do you do any kind of work or activism against this place or prison labor for profit? Have you ever visited Angola or any prison ? Have you seen these fields?
I can barely convince myself not to drive into oncoming traffic on the way home from work.
Yesterday I beat the shit out of myself with my bare fists because of the heat and stress of factory labor. Literally punched myself in the face over and over as hard as I could. I look like I was swarmed by bees.
I think if I put more on my plate I’d do something to get myself put in prison.
You seem really passionate and I think if you will get your hands dirty then you could help make some significant changes.
You think I’m the first person to give a shit? Many people much smarter and stronger than me are fighting against modern slavery, all I can do is support them. I’d fuck it up.
Meanwhile the conservatives complain the IlLeGaLs are taking all their jobs.
SLVRDRGNAnd only as recently as 2022 did we have a few states (four) abolish, without exception, the state constitution version of “except as punishment for a crime”. For the first time in US History!
I don’t understand, in that article it points out that Alabama allows this without pay, but then later in the article said Alabama is one of four that doesn’t allow this…?
Yes, it’s odd. I think this snippet from the second article about the four states might shed light:
“The approved measures will not immediately change the states’ prison systems, but they could lead to legal challenges about prisoners being forced to work or facing sanctions or loss of certain privileges if they don’t.”
And there is the real reason they made it OK to make homelessness illegal.
After they realized deporting illegal immigrants left fields to rot (see Florida, Georgia, and Alabama) they had to come up with a plan to make up the loss of labor, somehow.
I’m sure they figure 2 birds, 1 stone. Clean up the streets and make sure they have enough slaves to tend the fields. If you can’t pull yourself up by your bootstraps, we’ll tie those straps to your feet and drag you with em.
I mean, yes. The constitution explicitly carves out one exception to the “no slavery” rule. People who proudly proclaim America was the “first country to abolish slavery” don’t even realize America didn’t abolish slavery. So even if they were right, they’d still be wrong.