abadidea3d ago

extremely mad because my relative in American prison has let me know that from now on, instead of being charged once per book or per song and having the files added permanently to his account, he's going to ALSO be charged by the minute to read or listen to music on the tablets that are the only things they're allowed to use.

reminder that paying prisoners (vastly) less than minimum wage is legal in the US because they're defined as an exception to anti-slavery laws.

Show threadabadidea
I'm pretty sure he's also going to lose access to all the compressed-like-it's-1999 jpegs of Odin that I was charged 25 cents each to send him through the world's worst email interface.
Apr 3 at 2:36pmWeb
Show threadThat Old Guy with the Beard3d ago
@0xabad1dea I’m pretty sure this is what happens when you privatize the prison system. While it was bad before, it becomes drastically worse punishment now with ‘financial’ being added to the mix of torture.
Show threadJames Widman3d ago

@IanAMartin @0xabad1dea well, that, and also, we need a constitutional amendment that closes the loophole that was left open in the 13th amendment (the "except as punishment" part), so that the new rule will be:

"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

There is already a proposal for this:
https://www.merkley.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/imo/media/doc/The%20Abolition%20Amendment%20One%20Pager%20-%20117th_.pdf

Show threadJames Widman3d ago
@IanAMartin @0xabad1dea
like, it is absolutely necessary to abolish the private prison industry, but that by itself would not solve the problem where _government_ commits enslavement.
Show threadConsensus Tullyality3d ago
@0xabad1dea fuck :(
Show threadRoland \ Willard3d ago
@0xabad1dea this sounds like something I should write an angry letter to my representatives about. I wonder if there's any laws or legislation in the pipes that could make life marginally less horrible for incarcerated people.
Show threadabadidea3d ago
@will I don't live in the US, so I'd appreciate any senator-bothering on that front, though I suspect that under the current regime it'd only be possible to get anything done at the state level.
Show threadRoland \ Willard3d ago
@0xabad1dea definitely. Also for what it's worth, you might want to consider writing the legislators where he is incarcerated because despite not living in the US you are a family member and therefore you do have some stake.
Show threadRuth Mottram3d ago
@0xabad1dea is it permitted for people on the outside to send gifts of paper books to named prisoners? Because I'd be more than happy to do so to your family member? Books are imho a human right and a precious gift...
Show threadI AM BANKSY ☕ / 🗑‍🔥2d ago
@Ruth_Mottram
More and more that isn't an option because "drugs" but really because they can't charge as much for processing a package.
@0xabad1dea