Convict Leasing

Convict leasing was essentially a new form of slavery that started after the American Civil War and went on for decades across the South. States — and companies — got rich by arresting mostly Black men and then forcing them to work for major companies.

Convict leasing was a practice in the United States in which convicts were leased out by the government to private businesses and individuals. This practice was most prevalent in the Southern states after the Civil War, when the former slave economy needed a new source of cheap labor. Under the convict leasing system, prisoners were forced to work in conditions that were often dangerous and inhumane. They were paid little or nothing for their labor, and the businesses and individuals who leased them out profited from their work. Convict leasing was eventually abolished in the early 20th century due to widespread public outrage over its cruel and exploitative nature.