Inmates strike in Alabama, declare prison is “running a slave empire”

From another thread but maybe just more information is all that is needed so here it is,

An update or in the news today, well at least a website: www.classwarfareexists.com... website & story 37 States Allow Corporations To Get Rich Off Prison Labor - See more at: www.classwarfareexists.com... But with any easily disenfranchised group (and prisoners might be the most disenfranchised in the country, almost by definition), the opportunity for exploitation and abuse is extremely high. The probability of abuse becomes even higher for a group of people typically perceived as “deserving” of it. Prisoners fit that bill nicely. - See more at: www.classwarfareexists.com... At least 37 states have legalized the contracting of prison labor by private corporations that mount their operations inside state prisons. The list of such companies contains the cream of U.S. corporate society: IBM, Boeing, Motorola, Microsoft, AT&T, Wireless, Texas Instrument, Dell, Compaq, Honeywell, Hewlett-Packard, Nortel, Lucent Technologies, 3Com, Intel, Northern Telecom, TWA, Nordstrom’s, Revlon, Macy’s, Pierre Cardin, Target Stores, and many more. - See more at: www.classwarfareexists.com... All of these businesses are excited about the economic boom generation by prison labor. Just between 1980 and 1994, profits went up from $392 million to $1.31 billion. - See more at: www.classwarfareexists.com... I could quote the entire article, a good informative read. His closing: We are building an unethical and unhealthy economic system that is further destroying our country’s workforce and shifting it over to underpaid, abused prisoners. That system has a strong incentive to keep jails full and criminals locked away for exorbitant sentences. If we continue to do nothing, the problem will only grow. Unfortunately, the stigma that being in prison means you deserve whatever comes your way has supported of this dangerous system and given politicians and businessmen political cover in further enriching corporate interests at the expense of everyone else. - See more at: www.classwarfareexists.com... Have heard complaints about immigrants taking your jobs and jobs going over seas, does anyone care that, One out of every 100 American adults is behind bars. That’s more than 2.4 million people who have been taken out of the workforce and had their rights legally stripped away. That’s a lot of potential exploitable workers for a corporation to use. - See more at: www.classwarfareexists.com... Where have all the people gone? Long time passing. Where have all the people gone? Long long time ago? edit on 16-11-2013 by donlashway because: (no reason given) - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: Bassago

originally posted by: FlyersFan
Quote from the OP article -

“They’re incarcerating people for the free labor.” -

No. They are incarcerating people who break the law and then those people are working to pay back their debt to society.

ETA ... FLAME AWAY.

I have no problem with sending people who commit crimes against others to jail. I also have no problem with making those people clean up roads, cleaning state property, making license plates, fixing roads, or any other reasonable labor that would be a benefit to the state. For example, If they are building furniture it should be used for the state to offset state costs.

What i do have a problem with is some of the things that are considered crimes but thats another story. The problem we are talking about here is prisons for profit. They need to keep a certain amount of people in it to keep the business running and to keep getting government subsidies. Well with violent crime on the decline, you have to lower the standard for acceptance into the prison system, therefore lesser and lesser crimes are considered imprisonable offences. Also you will see officers trumping up or making up charges to fill their quota. This is what they mean by anyone can end up in the prison system.

Prisons should be a state run institution. With the costs offset with reasonable labor.

Federal: On Dec. 31, 2012, there were 196,574 sentenced prisoners under federal jurisdiction. Of these, 99,426 were serving time for drug offenses, 11,688 for violent offenses, 11,568 for property offenses, and 72,519 for "public order" offenses (of which 23,700 were sentenced for immigration offenses, 30,046 for weapons offenses, and 17,633 for "other").

State: On Dec. 31, 2011, there were 1,341,797 sentenced prisoners under state jurisdiction. Of these, 222,738 were serving time for drug offenses, of whom 55,013 were merely convicted for possession. There were also 717,861 serving time for violent offenses, 249,574 for property offenses, 142,230 for "public order" offenses (which include weapons, drunk driving, court offenses, commercialized vice, morals and decency offenses, liquor law violations, and other public-order offenses), and 9,392 for "other/unspecified".

Source: E. Ann Carson and Daniela Golinelli, "Prisoners in 2012: Trends in Admissions and Releases, 1991-2012" (Washington, DC: US Dept. of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics, Dec. 2013), NCJ243920, Table 5, p. 3, and Appendix Table 10, p. 43.
www.bjs.gov...
- See more at: www.drugwarfacts.org...

Source: www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Prisons_and_Drugs#sthash.J76xEUoo.dpbs



The prison system in America is another complete abomination in this current Consumer Plantation we have here.

Just think, you have hundreds of thousands of people in Prison for drugs that come up naturally from the ground. If you eliminated the War on Drugs, which it's not, because Wars end, as referenced from the Wire, you have a perpetual system of legal slave labor.

You have outrageous sentences, you have the draconian three strike rule, you have officers killing innocent people then getting paid leave vacation for their punishment.

When the US collapses like all of the Empires before her, you can't help but to wonder if there will be another country like America in 200 years going through the same #.

a reply to: Bassago

It's the same down here in Australia. Every example that you provided eg: making license plates, furniture etc are the same jobs allocated for slave wages in Australia's prisons. I done a short stint a while back and got to experience this lifestyle. You get three different pay brackets $6.50, $7.40 and $8.50 a day. Roughly $25-$34 a week. I was told that this is the system they used to use with prisoners of war during WW2.

a reply to: Revelations29

You have outrageous sentences, you have the draconian three strike rule, you have officers killing innocent people then getting paid leave vacatio

You have that right but you left out the real topper, we have so many federal criminal laws nobody can even count them all.

WASHINGTON—For decades, the task of counting the total number of federal criminal laws has bedeviled lawyers, academics and government officials.

"You will have died and resurrected three times," and still be trying to figure out the answer, said Ronald Gainer, a retired Justice Department official.
Many Failed Efforts to Count Nation's Federal Criminal Laws

There's the "Land of the Free" for you.

originally posted by: hellobruce

originally posted by: jrod
a reply to: minusinfinity
You do realize in some states if you have prescription medication not in their original labeled containers you can be charged with a felony, right?

Then simply keep it in the correct container.... why not leave it there? See, that is how simple it is to stay out of jail....

Really? Do you think it is acceptable that someone can be charged for a felony for simply putting their meds in one of those day of the week sorters for a weeklong vacation in lieu of bringing 10 pill bottles, then getting searched at a traffic stop?

It's not that simple.

Do me a favor, and never ever call the US a free country!

a reply to: Bassago

And the 'Drug War' is the scapegoat... We all know it. It's just a way to get the poor/minorities in prison and put to work for pennies. You can't control what an entire country will decide to put in their bodies. To even say it's because they're hazardous to our health is preposterous; seeing as how we have gasoline, fluoride, alcohol, GMO's and cancer sticks. Give me a break....

BTW S&F... Sorry about the rant...

2x post

originally posted by: totallackey

That does not mean to say I agree with the OP and other people saying it is easy peasy to get thrown in prison...You have to eff up really bad to get thrown in prison...Anybody who says otherwise is simply a manipulator, moral equivocator, or just plain silly...

Not true at all. Innocent people get sent to prison everyday and others are given lengthy sentences because of draconian laws. This a fact, it's not silly it is down right frightening.

I'm not saying that dangerous people are not locked up on a regular basis too. What I am saying is there are many people who commit minor crimes, or even no crime at all who are sent to prison. There is no debating this, this is a fact. This happens for a variety of reasons the biggest being lack of adept legal counsel.

For profit prisons and slave labor is a reality too. Many people believe there is an ongoing conspiracy to keep those draconian laws in place, to keep the prisons full, so there is plenty of 'talent' to pick from. It's not just the prison system it is the entire legal system. Probation is essentially extortion. When someone is accused of a crime they will pay with their time and possibly labor or they will pay out of their bank account and hire a lawyer.

I have no problem with prisoners working, learning trades, even earning money for their hard work, in hopes of truly 'rehabilitating' the person. In an ideal world this is what would happen. America is far from ideal and our rate of incarceration and our repeat offense rate speaks for itself.

a reply to: Bassago

Slavery, corporate welfare... all bad.

F&S& :bump:

originally posted by: HomerinNC
Being a former resident in Florida's and North Carolina's correctional systems, I can tell you from first hand experience how it works.
In Florida, you have 2 choices: work or solitary confinement. Thats it.

in NC, you have a variety of jobs, from working on the grounds or off the grounds at places like hospital laundries, DOT, National Monuments (ie the USS North Carolina), and in some cases, fast food, etc. The inmates get paid at their max, about 50-75 cents AN HOUR. Sometimes you can work up to 12 hours a day, and earn 9.00 A DAY, which gives you $45.00 A WEEK. Then they STILL take out taxes, social security, etc, then expect you to pay something for room and board, and child support and alimony, if court ordered, so most they get is like $2.00 $3.00 a week for themselves to buy a bag of chips (which costs about .75) and a can of soda (.50).
Yes its slavery. But who cares,right? We're all convicts. We're all guilty.

Don't forget that like I said in my post, these inmates that are working for under a $1 an hour are competing against private sector employees which are being paid atleast minimum wage. The inmates get nothing for their labor while the honest citizen has to compete at a price point that simply isn't possible.

originally posted by: TheFinder
Is everyone upset about this???

Really???

I mean, come on, it IS PRISON!

When you are sitting in the comfort of your home, reading ATS, you should think about how far from prison YOU are. These people are in prison FOR A REASON.

I personally think it should be a living HELL. Then it should be televised for those that think about offending in the future. It's not meant to be a SUMMER CAMP.

Some machines are just BROKEN and need to be refurbished. Prison should be the HARDEST thing that these people ever gave to do. Then maybe, we wouldn't have repeat offenders or offenders at all.

Well, aside from the fact that the justice system isn't perfect studies as well as many real world examples have shown that recidivism is highest when prison conditions are harsh. The lowest crime rates and the lowest rates of repeat offenders come from countries like Norway which have social safety nets, and prisons that offer a better lifestye than an honest low wage worker has in the US.

Even if you choose to not go with that though and just want a person to suffer out of revenge, prison workers are competing with private sector workers. Unless prison labor costs the same as a private sector wage (you could subtract living expenses from that) honest workers suffer because the private company will hire the prisoners and say no to honest people that need to be paid more.

originally posted by: Cynic
Prison isn't supposed to be a fun place to live. If you do the crime, you pay the consequences. Personally, I have no problem with their situation. The John Howard and Elizabeth Fry Societies might, but for the most part I don't particularly care. If you don't want to be there or are afraid of what could happen to you once you end up in jail, don't position yourself to have that unfavorable place to hang your hat.

While I agree with that to a degree, what bothers me is those that recently have been cleared of a crime through DNA after spending decades behind bars, that has to be frustrating to know you didn't do anything! There are some (like cold-blooded murders of children that deserve every misery that they get!)
My son is a Sheriffs Deputy and a good one, but it's the money-making courts that we have to be careful of!
I got a speeding ticket a number of years ago and was told I could pay $65 and take a 2-day course to erase it, which I did but after I was stopped a couple years later I found out the privately owned company that did the school never turned in that I paid and took the class, so I was driving on a suspended license unknowingly. When it was all over it had cost me $4000 to get right with the court again and other than the original speeding ticket I did nothing wrong!
I have another horror story that happened to me but won't bore you I will mention what the judge (a very good one) said in front of the whole courtroom.... I had several 'issues' that came up because of missed court dates because I was out of the country and when I was standing before the judge he said the county dropped one of them so I said "I guess they felt sorry for me!" he said "They don't feel sorry for anyone, this is how they make their money!" everyone in the courtroom laughed and he said to everyone "I wasn't joking, this is a moneymaking institution and they make a lot of money!" later I found out he is really critical of the courts and was instrumental in having speed cameras removed from the freeways!
Getting back to the OP there is a big difference between jail and prison, what we need is a good court system to make sure those horrible monsters like Ted Bundy''s Jeffery Dalhmer, etc. are put to death or make them work for the rest of their miserable lives!
I can see them making these hardened criminals work to make money (if the money goes to the victims or to pay for their incarceration but not to line the pockets of a private company).
I think it's time we all take a serious look at our justice system and either tear it down and start over or fix it so innocent people don't become part of it!

The people defending this are not getting the point! People in jail should do things to better themselves and if they have to work for THE COMMUNITY then I agree with that but THATS NOT WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT! The main point is CORRUPT BUISINESSES PROTITEERING and lobbying to keep prisons full. Lots of people who are in jail being forced into this slave labor system SHOULD NOT BE IN JAIL PERIOD. Of course jail should not be an easy ride but in this day in age a system of pure exploitation is in effect. How else can you explain America having the highest rate of incarceration on the planet? The laws are completely unfair and the judicial system is absolutely corrupt so that leaves people with not enough money to buy their way out of jail or properly defend unreasonable prosecution up a creek without a paddle.

The original purpose of the Prison system was to rehabilitate the people going into the system so they didn't find themselves there again, obviously that's gone by the wayside.

To those of you questioning how easy it is to get into trouble with the law, I have first hand knowledge right out of the mouths of cops and judges just how easy it is.

I was at a buddies house having a few beers and one of his friends, a Police officer in a little more rural area, told us all that they have Obama days, where they just pull over anyone they see with Obama stickers on their cars. That's the reason I put no stickers on my car, and tell everyone the same.

On another occasion I was talking with the Police Chief, family friend about how my brother was pulled over and given a DWI when he blew a 0.06 because he failed the field sobriety test, he said the officer confused him. I asked about it and the Chief told me that they are trained to try and confuse you during these stops. (sounds pretty fishy there) He ended up getting off after paying for a good lawyer, just feeding the system.


The entire system is built on a corrupt model, it doesn't pay for the Police, Judges, or Lawyers for there to actually be less crime, so there's now more Laws on the books than ever before. I read an article recently where a Law Professor said it's near impossible to go through a day without breaking some sort of law, and it's the truth.

And don't even get me started on the "War on Drugs" what a joke, I saw through that BS in elementary school listening to the DARE program.

I happen to live near 2 state prisons in south Alabama. The inmates have been doing work and also getting paid a small amount for many years. They are not slave labor. I agree our state has some of the most backward laws concerning drug offenses, but this is not a case of imprisoning innocents for the labor. Many of them learn a trade and more than a few are allowed to work outside jobs if they behave. My ex brother-in-law being one of them. He's cleaned up his meth problem & will be working in a local café upon his release.

make them work if they want food and tv and any ohter entertainment they get, even if it is farming.

Wait, when did paid work become slave labor? Plus, they're prisoners. Who cares?

This is in Alabama, alot of prisons in the south are pretty bad. But they also have alot of high risk offenders that do try to escape and are violent with guards. Putting them to work gives them something to do that's productive and makes the days go by faster to some. Their are nice prisons though, that let inmates play video games and eat good food all day. It varies where you get shipped to. I don't see anything wrong with this really, I've heard nothing but bad things about these prisons and the people crying about it swear they will never go back.... Compared to the prisons where you get pampered, after a few months of release is a attitude off "I'll do what I want"...

Privatized prisons are Definitely one of the first things we need to address when we start standing up for ourselves. You'd have the help of nearly every close family member of the prisoners as well as the prisoners themselves plus anyone else who would join the cause like those who have been wronged in the past and know how easy it is to have it happen again. The fact is its getting easier every day. I once gave a ride to a hitch hiker for just a few miles and a few days later (nobody else had been in my car in those 2 or 3 days) I found a meth or crack pipe completely caked with white residue. I tossed it in the trash at the car wash, but if I had been pulled over and for some reason they searched the car or just saw it while talking to me, I would at least have some kind of paraphernalia charerorige. Maybe even a possession charge if they decided to weigh the residue. Or test it or whatever. They wouldn't have done fingerprints or drug tested me. All that matters Is it was in my car. Now I can probably be arrested for destroying evidence. Cause I threw it away. Who knows? Wouldn't surprise me. The whole world's gone crazy, I tell ya!