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.

Snoqualmie to use prison labor in WASHINGTON STATE public works department
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Snoqualmie to use prison labor in WASHINGTON STATE public works department

Unable to find seasonal public works employees this summer, the City of Snoqualmie has turned to correctional inmates — signing an agreement with the state Department of Corrections (DOC) that will pay inmates less than $2 an hour. While the city has no control over the pay-rate, city councilmembers, in a 6-1 vote, approved a…

People incarcerated in the US produce $11 billion worth of goods a year but can’t afford a bar of soap
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People incarcerated in the US produce $11 billion worth of goods a year but can’t afford a bar of soap

Passed by the U.S. Congress on January 31, 1865, the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution abolished slavery. But, due to an exception clause, the amendment allowed slavery to remain legal as punishment for a crime, thus allowing states to extract free labor from prisoners. Today, in the U.S., more than 65% of those incarcerated…

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…

Australia’s prisons are also a source of forced labor
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Australia’s prisons are also a source of forced labor

As part of the Abolish Slavery National Network Freedom United is campaigning against the poor conditions facing incarcerated people in U.S. prisons. Together we are saying, “No slavery, no exceptions.” Because of the exception clause – or the punishment clause –  of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, incarcerated people in the U.S. can…

Migrant detainees entitled to sue U.S. private prison over forced labor
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Migrant detainees entitled to sue U.S. private prison over forced labor

A court has recently ruled that migrant detainees in California can sue the private prison company that operates the detention center they were held in over allegations of forced labor. […]

The post Migrant detainees entitled to sue U.S. private prison over forced labor appeared first on FreedomUnited.org.

Forced Prison Labor in China: Hiding in Plain Sight
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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…

Investigation: Corporations Are Profiting From Immigrant Detainees’ Labor. Some Say It’s Slavery.
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Investigation: Corporations Are Profiting From Immigrant Detainees’ Labor. Some Say It’s Slavery.

In February, she sued the company for labor trafficking. Gonzalez spent those … to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, ICE and the Department of Labor calling on them to help GEO defend itself …

New York is using prison labor to make emergency hand sanitizer
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New York is using prison labor to make emergency hand sanitizer

“This is nothing less than slave labor and it must end.” 100,000 Gallons New York governor Andrew Cuomo has an idea to tackle a hand sanitizer shortage, The New York Times reports: use prison labor to make more of the stuff. Cuomo has enlisted the help of Corcraft, New York’s prison-based product company to produce about…