What an Alabama Prisoners’ Strike Tells Us About Prison Labor
Exploitation of incarcerated people isn’t limited to lockups. Voters in some states have a chance to curtail it.
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In 1609, French explorer Samuel de Champlain came upon a large lake in the area we know today as Vermont and named it after himself. The state’s name comes from two French words vert (green) and mont (mountain), which explains Vermont’s nickname, the “Green Mountain State.” Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys defended their homeland from the British during the Revolutionary War. Vermont is one of the six New England states and became the 14th state in 1791. Some of Vermont’s major industries are dairy farming and tourism. One of the most picturesque states, Vermont has millions of visitors each year who come to see the leaves turn colors in the fall and the snow-covered mountains in the winter. The state flower is the red clover and the tree is the sugar maple. Vermont maple syrup is one of the state’s most popular products.
Human trafficking is a serious issue that affects people all around the world, including in Vermont. It is a form of modern slavery in which individuals are exploited for labor, sexual exploitation, or other purposes.
According to data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline, Vermont has consistently had relatively low numbers of human trafficking cases reported compared to other states in the United States. In 2020, the state ranked 49th in the country for the number of cases reported to the hotline, with a total of 5 cases.
Human trafficking can take many forms in Vermont, including forced labor, domestic servitude, and sexual exploitation. It often affects vulnerable populations, such as immigrants, children, and people who are homeless or in poverty.
If you suspect that someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, there are steps you can take to help. You can report the situation to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or by text at 233733. You can also contact local law enforcement or a trusted organization that provides services to victims of human trafficking. It is important to remember that the safety of the victim should be the top priority and to handle the situation with care and sensitivity.
Exploitation of incarcerated people isn’t limited to lockups. Voters in some states have a chance to curtail it.
Johnny Perez was made to work under threat of punishment, sewing underwear, pillowcases and sheets. He earned between $0.17 and $0.36 per hour for his labor. Johnny was one of the hundreds of thousands of incarcerated people who are forced to work in the U.S. as a result of a so-called “slavery loophole” created…
Photo by mksfly via Flickr Incarcerated individuals across the country are forced to work for cents on the dollar, with five states, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi and Texas, offering no wages, reports the Guardian. The 13th amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude but contained an exception for “a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have…
BOSTON – A Brockton woman was sentenced on Sept. 15, 2022 in federal court in Boston for her involvement in a conspiracy that involved coercing young women to engage in prostitution. Natashia Bowman, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Alison D. Burroughs to three years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution…
Midterm elections: How they work and why they’re important This year’s midterms are the first chance for Americans to grade Joe Biden and congressional Democrats on how they’ve been running the country for the past two years. Typically midterms don’t go well for the party in power, and Democrats are defending razor-thin majorities in Congress, as one-third of…
Credit – Illustration by Ajubel Studio for TIME W.E.B. Du Bois is perhaps best known for introducing the term “double consciousness” into the lexicon of the Black experience. The term described the duality of being a Black American—neither fully African nor completely American, an enduring “problem” to be fought over in times of war and…
In less than 60 days, voters in Alabama, Louisiana, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont will decide whether to abolish slavery. But it’s not exactly what you may think. The initiative on the ballot is a part of a larger criminal justice reform movement aimed at prison labor. In an attempt address the “loophole” in the 13th Amendment—which ended slavery…
(Getty Images) Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio. It’s 2022, and five states have ballot initiatives to abolish slavery. Yes, you read that right. In the “land of the free,” the states of Alabama, Louisiana, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont have an opportunity to…
Voters in Alabama, Louisiana, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont will decide on state constitutional amendments prohibiting slavery and involuntary servitude, which could potentially transform the criminal …
A sign at Brattleboro’s Rainbow Therapeutic Spa makes no mention of a Wednesday visit by authorities, who arrested the operator for allegedly profiting off prostitution. Photo by Kevin O’Connor/VTDigger Following months of surveillance, authorities raided a Brattleboro spa Wednesday and charged one person with profiting from prostitution at the site, according to Vermont State Police….
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