No state has a longer, more profit-driven history of contracting prisoners out to private companies than Alabama. With a sprawling labor system that dates back more than 150 years — including the brutal convict leasing era that replaced slavery — it has constructed a template for the commercialization of mass incarceration.

Most jobs are inside facilities, where the state’s inmates — who are disproportionately Black — can be sentenced to hard labor and forced to work for free doing everything from mopping floors to laundry. But more than 10,000 inmates have logged a combined 17 million work hours outside Alabama’s prison walls since 2018, for entities like city and county governments and businesses that range from major car-part manufacturers and meat-processing plants to distribution centers for major retailers like Walmart, the AP determined.

https://apnews.com/article/prison-to-plate-inmate-labor-investigation-alabama-3b2c7e414c681ba545dc1d0ad30bfaf5

  • FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    It’s legal per the 13th Amendment.

    Doesn’t make it right, and it says a lot about how little both parties value human rights that it’s allowed to stand.

    • pivot_root@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      Oh, that’s nothing. Ever wonder who tough on crime legislation actually benefits, and who’s lobbying for it?

    • ERROR: Earth.exe has crashed@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      3 days ago

      Government: "WELL ACHSHUALLY, They aren’t slaves because they consented…

      under the threat of 23 hour solitary confinement with zero amenities and nothing to do and shitty food and absolute boredom, and practically psychological torture"

      • SmilingSolaris@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Cmon buddy. I get that the “both sides” argument is lame and tired when it comes to things like abortion and women’s rights but this is a perfect example of it being true. I know you identifying as a Democrat believe that they couldn’t possibly support slavery but they do. Slavery as punishment for a crime is universal in American politics as a policy neither side would ever go against. This is a real example of capitalism triumphing over morals that is prevalent in neo liberalism. The first step to making sure your party is better is to acknowledge that they ain’t being better when its pointed out. Aka, don’t defend the slavers

        • Jericho_One@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          First, I didn’t say the Democrats didn’t support slavery for felons, I called out the fact that you think there’s only 2 sides. So, you know, maybe take a breath before making assumptions and responding next time

          Seconably, there’s a huge political cost to amending the constitution. You think the political party that just lost to a convicted rapist and multi-felon has the kind of clout to amend such an obviously terrible thing when they’re too busy trying to prevent anyone younger than 70 years old from fighting against billionaires? GTFO with that!

          Long story short: we know “one side” would do it if they had the power, but they don’t, because they suck up to the same billionaires the “other side” does…

          • SmilingSolaris@lemmy.world
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            2 days ago

            First, the words you said have meaning. They have cultural history. It’s not assumptions it’s called context. Ain’t my fault if you didn’t mean what you was saying. Typically the response to that is “sorry, let me try again”

            Second. Slavery apologist in the year of our Lord 2024. You ain’t a strategist. Your a person. Have a soul. Be angry. That gives the “political capital”. Christ alive, don’t do slavery apologia

            • Jericho_One@lemmy.world
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              2 days ago

              First, you have a tenuous grasp of words and language, at best, based on your assumptions and then your pitiful response when your false assumptions were called out as such. So please don’t try to lecture others on the subject. It is 100% your fault that you made bad assumptions, and the fact that you aren’t willing to own up to that proves that you don’t deserve a “sorry, let me try again” but instead a “hey dummy, why don’t you try again”.

              Second. It’s not “apologist” to call out the Democrats as failures. You’re showing your tenuous grasp of language again. I hope that you asked for some books from Santa Claus this Christmas, because you are sorely in need of some education, kid