Was Slavery Abolished?
By BROOKLYN YATES
The 13th Amendment of the constitution states "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." The United States claims to be one of the first countries to ban slavery, but is that really the case if slavery can be used as “punishment for crime?” Are prisoners not citizens of the US, should their freedom as well as constitutional rights be disregarded because of their imprisonment? This debate is hugely controversial because some people see it as wrong that the government is forcing labor upon inmates. Many others find prison labor totally appropriate because the inmates have lost their right to freedom by committing a crime.
Michael Suede from The Libertarian News states that around 85% of prisoners are in prison on non-violent sentences and, victimless crimes, most of them are drug related. This begs the question, do they really deserve to be incarcerated and forced to conduct unpaid labor? Many drug related offenses are over sentenced they can be imprisoned for life because they were caught with drugs and dually convicted it is a bit excessive.
Big businesses in America such as Whole Foods, McDonalds, Walmart, and 50 more are making the most money off of prison labor Sara Burrows with Return to Now Magazine says “Many prisoners are being forced to make uniforms and supplies for use outside of the prison. The convicts get little to no benefits from mass producing uniforms and products for these outside sources.” This is creating a bridge between paid work and slavery
Prison labor can benefit quality of life of prisoners and keep them healthy. In some prisons, such as Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana they focus on labor being an outlet for reforming. The prison warden Burl Cain hopes to give his prisoners the resources and skills to rebuild a meaningful life after being released from jail.
Not all prisons mass produce, some prisons have gardens, mechanic shops, and many other jobs that will actually help the prisoners in the outside world. The nature of prison labor makes a large impact on the prisoner's remorse
Many prisons including Maryland Eastern Shore Prison have programs that have inmates grow majority of food they eat. What they don’t eat is given to the poor and less fortunate people of Maryland. “It makes it feel like you still have it in you to do something good,” says Labord, a 39 year old man imprisoned for life due to an armed robbery.
The kind of labor enforced in many prisons are great examples of the difference between slavery and reform. It is immoral to pay less than a dollar an hour to mass produce products that are utilized by companies with intent to maximize profits. Teaching prisoners skills while providing meaning to their lives, gives the inmates something to care about and distract from their incarceration. Prison labor with the intent to better the lives of the prisoners by no means should be considered slavery, even the workers have little freedom. Teaching and practicing hard work in prison can many times lead to remorse for their crimes. This is a valuable lesson for inmates, hard and meaningful work is necessary to reform, and can slowly make them better members of functioning society.
By BROOKLYN YATES
The 13th Amendment of the constitution states "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." The United States claims to be one of the first countries to ban slavery, but is that really the case if slavery can be used as “punishment for crime?” Are prisoners not citizens of the US, should their freedom as well as constitutional rights be disregarded because of their imprisonment? This debate is hugely controversial because some people see it as wrong that the government is forcing labor upon inmates. Many others find prison labor totally appropriate because the inmates have lost their right to freedom by committing a crime.
Michael Suede from The Libertarian News states that around 85% of prisoners are in prison on non-violent sentences and, victimless crimes, most of them are drug related. This begs the question, do they really deserve to be incarcerated and forced to conduct unpaid labor? Many drug related offenses are over sentenced they can be imprisoned for life because they were caught with drugs and dually convicted it is a bit excessive.
Big businesses in America such as Whole Foods, McDonalds, Walmart, and 50 more are making the most money off of prison labor Sara Burrows with Return to Now Magazine says “Many prisoners are being forced to make uniforms and supplies for use outside of the prison. The convicts get little to no benefits from mass producing uniforms and products for these outside sources.” This is creating a bridge between paid work and slavery
Prison labor can benefit quality of life of prisoners and keep them healthy. In some prisons, such as Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana they focus on labor being an outlet for reforming. The prison warden Burl Cain hopes to give his prisoners the resources and skills to rebuild a meaningful life after being released from jail.
Not all prisons mass produce, some prisons have gardens, mechanic shops, and many other jobs that will actually help the prisoners in the outside world. The nature of prison labor makes a large impact on the prisoner's remorse
Many prisons including Maryland Eastern Shore Prison have programs that have inmates grow majority of food they eat. What they don’t eat is given to the poor and less fortunate people of Maryland. “It makes it feel like you still have it in you to do something good,” says Labord, a 39 year old man imprisoned for life due to an armed robbery.
The kind of labor enforced in many prisons are great examples of the difference between slavery and reform. It is immoral to pay less than a dollar an hour to mass produce products that are utilized by companies with intent to maximize profits. Teaching prisoners skills while providing meaning to their lives, gives the inmates something to care about and distract from their incarceration. Prison labor with the intent to better the lives of the prisoners by no means should be considered slavery, even the workers have little freedom. Teaching and practicing hard work in prison can many times lead to remorse for their crimes. This is a valuable lesson for inmates, hard and meaningful work is necessary to reform, and can slowly make them better members of functioning society.