Prison Work

Why unions can’t ignore incarcerated workers
| | | |

Why unions can’t ignore incarcerated workers

An estimated two thirds of the more than one million prisoners in the United States today are incarcerated workers. With many prisoners earning less than a dollar an hour, and those who refuse to work often facing vicious retaliation in the form of punitive solitary confinement, labor exploitation is an important part of what makes…

Forced Prison Labor in China: Hiding in Plain Sight
|

Forced Prison Labor in China: Hiding in Plain Sight

Ancient Mogilev, a former city of the medieval Duchy of Lithuania and now part of Belarus close to the border with Russia, cradled along the River Dnieper, is a most unlikely spot for an interview about forced prison labor in China. But this is the home to which Dima Siakatsky returned after his release from…

How To End Prison Labor Exploitation And Invest In Incarcerated People
| | | |

How To End Prison Labor Exploitation And Invest In Incarcerated People

A group of inmates walk in leg chains under supervision on a road near the South Florida Reception… [+] Center, a maximum security prison, in Miami Tuesday, Nov. 21, 1995. (AP Photo/Daniel Portnoy) On July 31, the California Department of Corrections tweeted, “Today, more than 2,000 volunteer inmate firefighters, including 58 youth offenders, are battling…

How To End Prison Labor Exploitation And Invest In Incarcerated People
|

How To End Prison Labor Exploitation And Invest In Incarcerated People

On July 31, the California Department of Corrections tweeted, “Today, more than 2,000 volunteer inmate firefighters, including 58 youth offenders, are battling wildfire flames throughout CA. Inmate firefighters serve a vital role, clearing thick brush down to bare soil to stop the fire’s spread.” Fifty-eight youth battling wildfire flames. In a practice that dates to…