Solitary Confinement

Solitary confinement is the practice of isolating a person in a small, confined space for an extended period of time. This practice is often used in prisons and other correctional facilities to punish or segregate inmates who have committed serious offenses or who are deemed to be a danger to others. Solitary confinement can have serious psychological and physical effects on inmates, including anxiety, depression, and hallucinations. It can also lead to long-term harm, such as cognitive impairment and social isolation. Solitary confinement has been criticized by human rights groups and others as inhumane and potentially damaging to the well-being of inmates. Some jurisdictions have placed limits on the use of solitary confinement or have banned it altogether.

U.N. report calls U.S. prison labor system ‘contemporary slavery’
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U.N. report calls U.S. prison labor system ‘contemporary slavery’

A recent report published by United Nations human rights experts denounces the prevalence of “contemporary slavery” within the U.S. prison system. The report, a result of a comprehensive investigation following the experts’ visit to the U.S. earlier this year, reveals the harrowing realities of forced labor, shocking prison conditions, and systemic racism that plagues American…

UN Report Urges End to Forced US Prison Labor—a ‘Contemporary Form of Slavery’
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UN Report Urges End to Forced US Prison Labor—a ‘Contemporary Form of Slavery’

A report published Thursday by United Nations human rights experts condemns systemic racism in the U.S. criminal justice system and policing, while describing “appalling” prison conditions and decrying forced unpaid convict labor as a “contemporary form of slavery.” The U.N. International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the Context of Law…

Forced Labor Continues in Colorado, Years After Vote to End Prison Slavery  – Bolts
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Forced Labor Continues in Colorado, Years After Vote to End Prison Slavery  – Bolts

Throughout Abron Arrington’s decades-long incarceration in Colorado, he often found himself in solitary confinement—not because he was causing trouble, but simply because he refused to work. He didn’t see the point given he was paid 13 cents an hour and figured his time could be better spent learning physics. Before Arrington was incarcerated in 1989,…

It’s Nearly Labor Day, and Congress Has a Chance to Abolish Prison Slavery
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It’s Nearly Labor Day, and Congress Has a Chance to Abolish Prison Slavery

Johnny Perez was arrested and incarcerated two days after his daughter was born, a heart-wrenching fact by itself. Perez wanted to be there for his daughter, but he was stuck at a state prison in Coxsackie, New York. He worked hard to save money, but his prison job sewing bed sheets started at 17 cents…

UN report links SE Asia crypto scams to human trafficking
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UN report links SE Asia crypto scams to human trafficking

A recent UN report reveals hundreds of thousands of vulnerable migrants have been forced to participate in online scams. It confirms allegations made in a previous FBI report. The new report by the United Nations Human Rights Office has exposed the full scale of horrific human rights abuses taking place inside Southeast Asia’s shadowy network of…

Arizona changed how it sells prisoners to companies. The state raked in millions, but workers were neglected
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Arizona changed how it sells prisoners to companies. The state raked in millions, but workers were neglected

Clothed in orange with elbow-high rubber gloves and large black masks, a line of workers along a conveyor belt pull lead from cathode-ray tubes. At a construction warehouse, more workers in orange jumpsuits piece together wall frames for single-family homes until one shoots a nail into his knee with a nail gun. At a canning…

US prisoners have become modern slaves
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US prisoners have become modern slaves

Birds fly near the US Capitol at sunrise, on Capitol Hill in Washington, US, in this Feb 8, 2022 file photo. [Photo/Agencies] Americans tend to be indignant about “forced labor” in other countries but are unaware of the prevalence of forced labor in their own country. According to a report, “Captive Labor: Exploitation of Incarcerated…

New York Lawmaker Proposes Legislation to Ban “Prison Slave Labor”
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New York Lawmaker Proposes Legislation to Ban “Prison Slave Labor”

Recently, a New York State Assembly Member introduced legislation in Albany to end the practice of forced prison labor, and to require that incarcerated people make at least minimum wage for their work. The objectives are to abolish slavery without exception in New York’s constitution and extend workers’ protections to incarcerated New Yorkers. Currently, New York…

Exploiting Prison Workers for Cheap Sheets
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Exploiting Prison Workers for Cheap Sheets

It took Johnny Perez over four years of making hundreds of bedsheets every day at a factory to reach the top pay tier: about 32 cents an hour, nearly double his starting wage. He was one of the highest-paid workers at Coxsackie Correctional Facility—a textile manufacturer run by the New York State prison system. When…

As other states ban unpaid ‘slave’ prison labor, lawmakers drop plans to tackle issue in Florida
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As other states ban unpaid ‘slave’ prison labor, lawmakers drop plans to tackle issue in Florida

It’s in your civics classes. The 13th Amendment of the US Constitution, ratified in 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude. But there was one glaring exception clause: if convicted by state courts, incarcerated Americans can be slaves of the state. Four states banned slavery during last year’s general elections — 150 years after enslaved Black…