Prison Policy Initiative

Biden Pledged to Take On “Junk Fees.” He Should Start With Jails and Prisons.
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Biden Pledged to Take On “Junk Fees.” He Should Start With Jails and Prisons.

In what was probably the first reference to “junk fees” during a State of the Union address, President Joe Biden said Tuesday that his administration is cracking down on “those hidden surcharges too many companies use to make you pay more” and urged Congress to pass legislation expanding on the effort. “The idea that cable,…

Louisiana routinely overdetains inmates, violating Constitution, U.S. says
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Louisiana routinely overdetains inmates, violating Constitution, U.S. says

Louisiana correction authorities routinely confine thousands of inmates beyond their release dates each year, in violation of the Constitution and wasting taxpayer funds, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday. Overdetention is not unheard of in other states, nor in federal facilities, but the scale of Louisiana’s actions — which the Justice Department attributed to state…

Success of ‘Slavery on the Ballot’ Vote Could Help Incarcerated Pregnant People
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Success of ‘Slavery on the Ballot’ Vote Could Help Incarcerated Pregnant People

This story was originally published by The 19th. During the midterm elections, five states — Alabama, Oregon, Vermont, Louisiana, and Tennessee — put to vote initiatives purported to prohibit the use of slavery and indentured servitude as a punishment for crime, an antiquated allowance given by the 13th Amendment 157 years ago this month that…

Success of ‘slavery on the ballot’ measures could help incarcerated pregnant people of color
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Success of ‘slavery on the ballot’ measures could help incarcerated pregnant people of color

Originally published by The 19th During the midterm elections, five states — Alabama, Oregon, Vermont, Louisiana, and Tennessee — put to vote initiatives purported to prohibit the use of slavery and indentured servitude as a punishment for crime, an antiquated allowance given by the 13th Amendment 157 years ago this month that prisons across the country still…

The Case For Taxing Prison Labor
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The Case For Taxing Prison Labor

Stephanie Hunter McMahon of the University of Cincinnati College of Law discusses why labor performed by incarcerated workers should be subject to tax. This transcript has been edited for length and clarity. David D. Stewart: Welcome to the podcast. I’m David Stewart, editor in chief of Tax Notes Today International. This week: prisoners’ dilemma. On…

Report on Prison Labor: ‘Too Much Drudgery, Not Enough Opportunity’
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Report on Prison Labor: ‘Too Much Drudgery, Not Enough Opportunity’

Illustration by AK Rockefeller via Flickr. The ‘vast majority” of individuals incarcerated in state prisons are forced to work menial jobs for poverty-level pay, according to a new Prison Policy Initiative (PPI) policy brief. As a result, most leave prison poorly qualified to find a job in civilian society that will keep them out of…

The United States’ Practice of Forced Labor at Home and Abroad: Truth and Facts (Part One)
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The United States’ Practice of Forced Labor at Home and Abroad: Truth and Facts (Part One)

BEIJING, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) — The United States’ Practice of Forced Labor at Home and Abroad: Truth and Facts August 2022 Introduction Over the years, the United States has concocted the biggest lies of the century such as the so-called “genocide” and “forced labor” in Xinjiang, in an attempt to smear and contain China. It…

Some prison labor programs lose money — even when prisoners work for pennies
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Some prison labor programs lose money — even when prisoners work for pennies

“Inside Out” by Keri Blakinger is a partnership between NBC News and The Marshall Project, a nonprofit newsroom covering the U.S. criminal justice system. The column draws on Blakinger’s unique perspective as an investigative journalist and formerly incarcerated person. Nora worked the fields outside Texas prisons for nearly three years. But she didn’t learn much…