United States
Slavery to Imprisonment
Forced Labor
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One of the major forms of injustice that those who are incarcerated face is forced labor. Although the United States has labor laws such as the Fair Labor Standards Act, these laws exclude inmates who experience forced prison labor since their labor is a form of punishment, not a form of making money. Due to this, inmates are not protected from forced labor or unfair pay. This cheap labor is also a great deterrent for private companies to support prison reforms. Instead, private companies are more inclined to support policies that increase prison populations as a way to support their business operations that rely heavily on cheap labor.
These views of prison labor have their roots in the 13th Amendment. Once the 13th Amendment was passes claiming that forced labor was allowed as a form of punishment for those convicted of crimes, many states wasted no time in exploiting black communities to gain free or cheap labor. This practice and mindset are still prevalent in today’s world as many large corporations are complicit in using free or cheap prison labor as a part of the prison-industrial system.
In today’s prison system there are three main forms of labor. First there is in-house prison labor where inmates work within the prison facility doing a number of jobs from food services to maintenance work. Next there is producing goods for external use through the prison industries. These prison industry jobs could be anything from farm work to working in a distribution center. Finally, there is the work release program. The work release program provides inmates who are minimum-risk offenders or who are almost done with their sentence to private companies outside of the prison complex.
These views of prison labor have their roots in the 13th Amendment. Once the 13th Amendment was passes claiming that forced labor was allowed as a form of punishment for those convicted of crimes, many states wasted no time in exploiting black communities to gain free or cheap labor. This practice and mindset are still prevalent in today’s world as many large corporations are complicit in using free or cheap prison labor as a part of the prison-industrial system.
In today’s prison system there are three main forms of labor. First there is in-house prison labor where inmates work within the prison facility doing a number of jobs from food services to maintenance work. Next there is producing goods for external use through the prison industries. These prison industry jobs could be anything from farm work to working in a distribution center. Finally, there is the work release program. The work release program provides inmates who are minimum-risk offenders or who are almost done with their sentence to private companies outside of the prison complex.
Convict Leasing
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As the growth of the prison system continued, unjust treatments began to ensue. After the Civil War ended in 1865, the act of convict leasing became very popular throughout the Southern states. Convict leasing was the act of companies and individuals paying leasing fees to local, country, or state governments in order to use the labor of prisoner. These prisoners would be leased to work in farms, mines, factories, railroads, and many other areas.
To ensure that there was enough supply of labor, numerous laws were enacted, commonly known as Black Codes, as a way to easily arrest newly freed slaves and ensure that white supremacy continued. These laws were used to restore the social controls of slavery that were abolished with the 13th Amendment. Black Codes allowed law enforcement to arrest African Americans for petty crimes from walking on the grass, to being homeless. Due to this, many of the prison laborers were African Americans.
To ensure that there was enough supply of labor, numerous laws were enacted, commonly known as Black Codes, as a way to easily arrest newly freed slaves and ensure that white supremacy continued. These laws were used to restore the social controls of slavery that were abolished with the 13th Amendment. Black Codes allowed law enforcement to arrest African Americans for petty crimes from walking on the grass, to being homeless. Due to this, many of the prison laborers were African Americans.
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Convict leasing and slavery had many parallels including terrible working conditions and treatment. Laborers were often tortured and beaten, and numerous laborers died due to this treatment. In fact, some work sites had secret graveyards that contained the bodies of the workers who were beaten to death. The prisoners were also exposed to many different types of diseases, including malaria and tuberculosis, that also led to the countless prisoner deaths.
Convict leasing is a clear violation of the inmates’ personal freedoms and rights. Through the act of convict leasing, inmates were basically being bought and sold for their labor power, and they were subjected to the equivalent of slave labor. In fact, in 1871 the Virginia Supreme Court rule in the Ruffin v. Commonwealth case that incarcerated people were “slaves to the state” who forfeited basically all of their personal human rights.
The act of convict leasing was practiced from about just after the Civil War to the beginning of World War II. In fact, Alabama became the final state to outlaw the practice in 1928, but it was not until 1941 when Attorney General Francis Biddle issued Circular No. 3591 that convict leasing was formally abolished because it was seen as a form of involuntary servitude. However, with the outlaw of this practice sparked the new unjust practice of chain gangs, where inmates would be chained together to do physical labor.
Convict leasing is a clear violation of the inmates’ personal freedoms and rights. Through the act of convict leasing, inmates were basically being bought and sold for their labor power, and they were subjected to the equivalent of slave labor. In fact, in 1871 the Virginia Supreme Court rule in the Ruffin v. Commonwealth case that incarcerated people were “slaves to the state” who forfeited basically all of their personal human rights.
The act of convict leasing was practiced from about just after the Civil War to the beginning of World War II. In fact, Alabama became the final state to outlaw the practice in 1928, but it was not until 1941 when Attorney General Francis Biddle issued Circular No. 3591 that convict leasing was formally abolished because it was seen as a form of involuntary servitude. However, with the outlaw of this practice sparked the new unjust practice of chain gangs, where inmates would be chained together to do physical labor.
Chain Gangs
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While convict leasing was seemingly coming to an end, a new form of injustice for prison laborers was arising. Chain gangs were groups of inmates that were chained together while completing labor tasks, such as road construction, ditch digging, and farming. Some of these groups worked close to the prison while others were carted around in trucks and rail cars, which were seen as portable prisons.
Similar to the living and working conditions for slave and convict laborers, inmates in chain gangs were subjected to comparable conditions and treatment. The living conditions for these inmates were often horrible with little to no sanitation of their living quarters. Due to the lack of sanitations, these inmates were often exposed to numerous diseases and illnesses. This was especially true for those inmates that were temporarily housed in living quarters in rail cars or caged trucks. Inmates were often housed in these temporary locations as a way to allow them to be easily moved from site to site.
The use of inmates in chain gangs became very popular throughout the South during the Reconstruction Era and into the 1950s. Most chain gangs were made to perform hard labor, especially the construction and maintaining of roads and highways. The use of chain gangs to build these roads and highways paralleled the swift development of automobiles during the Auto Age from 1900-1950.
Similar to the living and working conditions for slave and convict laborers, inmates in chain gangs were subjected to comparable conditions and treatment. The living conditions for these inmates were often horrible with little to no sanitation of their living quarters. Due to the lack of sanitations, these inmates were often exposed to numerous diseases and illnesses. This was especially true for those inmates that were temporarily housed in living quarters in rail cars or caged trucks. Inmates were often housed in these temporary locations as a way to allow them to be easily moved from site to site.
The use of inmates in chain gangs became very popular throughout the South during the Reconstruction Era and into the 1950s. Most chain gangs were made to perform hard labor, especially the construction and maintaining of roads and highways. The use of chain gangs to build these roads and highways paralleled the swift development of automobiles during the Auto Age from 1900-1950.
Angola Rodeo
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The Angola Prison Rodeo has a deeply rooted history at the Louisiana State Penitentiary. The Angola rodeo is the longest running prison rodeo getting its start back in 1965. However, for the first two years it was not open to the public. Louisiana State Penitentiary started collecting money through ticket sales in 1967, and it is reported that the ticket sales go toward the Inmate Welfare Fund. Overtime the rodeo has gained much popularity and a new arena has been built to hold 10,000 spectators. Due to this popularity, similar prison rodeos have been incorporated in Texas and Oklahoma making imprisonment a spectator sport in today’s world.
The rodeo includes a handful of traditional events, as well as some created just for the prison rodeo. The traditional events included are bull riding, barrel racing, bronco riding, and steer wrestling. The events created for this rodeo include convict poker, prisoner pinball, and guts and glory. Convict poker is where four prisoners play a game of poker while a bull is released on them. The goal is to be the last prisoner sitting in order to win. Prisoner pinball scatters the prisoners in random spots around the arena who try to be the last one standing as a loose bull runs around knocking the prisoners over. Finally, guts and glory is where a poker chip is tied to the toughest bull’s head, and in order to win the cash prize the prisoners must try to retrieve the chip.
Although the rodeo is voluntary for the prison inmates, it has been criticized by many prison-rights activists and groups. These activists claim that due to the low pay and harsh working environments within the prison system the prisoners’ freedom of choice has been taken away. In Louisiana, the minimum hourly wage for prisoners is a mere $0.04 an hour. Due to this fact, when prisoners have the opportunity to make up to $100 through the rodeo and its cash prizes, the prisoners see it as their only option to make a sufficient amount of money. The rodeo also allows the prisoners a chance to sell products that they have made as a way to make money. Although there may be some benefits of the rodeo for the prisoners, activists have claimed that the prison rodeo presents the prisoners as less than human and displays their lifelong enslavement as entertainment for the masses.
The rodeo includes a handful of traditional events, as well as some created just for the prison rodeo. The traditional events included are bull riding, barrel racing, bronco riding, and steer wrestling. The events created for this rodeo include convict poker, prisoner pinball, and guts and glory. Convict poker is where four prisoners play a game of poker while a bull is released on them. The goal is to be the last prisoner sitting in order to win. Prisoner pinball scatters the prisoners in random spots around the arena who try to be the last one standing as a loose bull runs around knocking the prisoners over. Finally, guts and glory is where a poker chip is tied to the toughest bull’s head, and in order to win the cash prize the prisoners must try to retrieve the chip.
Although the rodeo is voluntary for the prison inmates, it has been criticized by many prison-rights activists and groups. These activists claim that due to the low pay and harsh working environments within the prison system the prisoners’ freedom of choice has been taken away. In Louisiana, the minimum hourly wage for prisoners is a mere $0.04 an hour. Due to this fact, when prisoners have the opportunity to make up to $100 through the rodeo and its cash prizes, the prisoners see it as their only option to make a sufficient amount of money. The rodeo also allows the prisoners a chance to sell products that they have made as a way to make money. Although there may be some benefits of the rodeo for the prisoners, activists have claimed that the prison rodeo presents the prisoners as less than human and displays their lifelong enslavement as entertainment for the masses.
Informational video about the Angola Prison Rodeo. Jim Hoffman, Creative Commons Attribution License (reuse allowed), via Youtube.com