<story><title>National prison strike launches over underpaid labor and prison conditions</title><url>https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/08/national-prison-strike-launches-over-underpaid-labor-and-prison-conditions.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>TaylorAlexander</author><text>A relevant snippet:&lt;p&gt;“California inmates were sent off to fight what has become the largest wildfire in the state’s history for just $1 an hour. These firefighters, who volunteered for a vocational training program offered by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, are often disqualified from the work after release because a required credential is denied to anyone with a criminal record.&lt;p&gt;Hundreds of thousands of prisoners are also employed in jobs outside and inside the prisons, most commonly doing work to maintain the prisons. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, the average prison worker makes around 85 cents an hour. In 2017, inmates in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, and Texas were not paid for most of their work. Proponents of these low-paying jobs have argued that inmates benefit from the work experience and that prisons, which are already often cash-strapped, cannot afford to pay more; opponents have argued that prisoners do need real wages to be able to buy basic necessities other than food in the prisons.”&lt;p&gt;Arguing that it’s good for them is paternalistic bullshit. The same argument could justify slavery. If prisons are cash strapped, whose responsibility is that? I believe society put these people away and we should pay for it. Either it’s worth it to us or it’s not.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>AndyMcConachie</author><text>s&amp;#x2F;employed&amp;#x2F;enslaved&amp;#x2F;g&lt;p&gt;One thing we can do right now is start to use the correct language. Involuntary labor is not employment and we shouldn&amp;#x27;t call it such. There is even a market where you can buy their products.&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;unicor.gov&amp;#x2F;index.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;unicor.gov&amp;#x2F;index.aspx&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;You can even outsource work to prison slaves.
&lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;vimeo.com&amp;#x2F;125010485&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;vimeo.com&amp;#x2F;125010485&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are even private companies that have prison slaves work for them and keep the profits.
&lt;a href=&quot;http:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;vltp.net&amp;#x2F;casinos-prison-labor-strange-bedfellows&amp;#x2F;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;vltp.net&amp;#x2F;casinos-prison-labor-strange-bedfellows&amp;#x2F;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;Just like slavery did in the American south pre-1865, prison slave labor depresses wages in any industry it operates in.</text></comment>
<story><title>National prison strike launches over underpaid labor and prison conditions</title><url>https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/08/national-prison-strike-launches-over-underpaid-labor-and-prison-conditions.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>TaylorAlexander</author><text>A relevant snippet:&lt;p&gt;“California inmates were sent off to fight what has become the largest wildfire in the state’s history for just $1 an hour. These firefighters, who volunteered for a vocational training program offered by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, are often disqualified from the work after release because a required credential is denied to anyone with a criminal record.&lt;p&gt;Hundreds of thousands of prisoners are also employed in jobs outside and inside the prisons, most commonly doing work to maintain the prisons. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, the average prison worker makes around 85 cents an hour. In 2017, inmates in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, and Texas were not paid for most of their work. Proponents of these low-paying jobs have argued that inmates benefit from the work experience and that prisons, which are already often cash-strapped, cannot afford to pay more; opponents have argued that prisoners do need real wages to be able to buy basic necessities other than food in the prisons.”&lt;p&gt;Arguing that it’s good for them is paternalistic bullshit. The same argument could justify slavery. If prisons are cash strapped, whose responsibility is that? I believe society put these people away and we should pay for it. Either it’s worth it to us or it’s not.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>nosseo</author><text>&amp;gt; &amp;quot;opponents have argued that prisoners do need real wages to be able to buy basic necessities other than food in the prisons&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;This seems like a problem even if prisoner wages are raised. If we incarcerate people, we should provide them with toothbrushes even if they can&amp;#x27;t&amp;#x2F;won&amp;#x27;t risk their lives fighting fires for a pittance.</text></comment>