UNLIMITED MADE WITH PRIDE IN THE USA APPRECIATION THREAD

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

If anybody can find those stats, I'd like to see them.

Google turns up a lot of articles, but I can't find the stats.

This link says we're exporting prison-made merchandise to China http://people.umass.edu/kastor/private/prison-labor.html

Here's the UNICOR site, and that's just federal prisons http://www.unicor.gov/

[navkat]

I'M APPARENTLY A HUGE FAN OF MAKING REGRETTABLE DECISIONS, SO I NOW CHOOSE TO POST THIS REPLY:

          i would have loved even the most meaningless task while in jail, i have to imagine prison is a way suckier version

Arizona sun, EOT.  Different ballgame entirely.

Not even the half of it. The bigger picture here is that when prison becomes profitable on both ends (selling products and services to the prisoners AND making them pay for those products and services through backbreaking, free labor), there's no compelling reason for them NOT to use power and influence to change laws and practices in ways that will scootch the margins over to include certain societal behaviors under the heading of "jailable offenses."

This is why even you are at risk of someday finding yourself serving 24 months to five years for "bullying," "stalking" or "terrorism" for trolling an internet forum or saying something clumsy in the breakroom at work. One day, your snarky comments about what ever dumbass made the coffee is something you've been doing for two years. The next day, you say it in front of the wrong person the morning after a special interest piece on "zero tolerance for office bullying" came on the local and you walk out of the building in cuffs.

And the funny thing about that is once the cuffs go on, your crdibility goes in the trash so no one gives a shit when you say "Can you believe this? This is crazy! I was JOKING!"

Of COURSE you'd deny it, you're a criminal.

[GlompChomp]

Human enslavement, an old problem with a new face. Slave masters have to be clever.

[POFP]

I always thought any type of labor for private companies by prisoners was a choice. I thought it worked a little like this:

Prisoner has a 4 year sentence. But, if he does some labor work for any of the various companies that offer it through the prison, he can earn anything from privileges, to the label of "good behavior," and possibly small amounts of money (Or prison currency (Cigarettes, right? Too many shows/movies?)). But at the end of the day, he could also choose to just sit in his cell and serve his sentence.

[Cain]

I always thought any type of labor for private companies by prisoners was a choice. I thought it worked a little like this:

Prisoner has a 4 year sentence. But, if he does some labor work for any of the various companies that offer it through the prison, he can earn anything from privileges, to the label of "good behavior," and possibly small amounts of money (Or prison currency (Cigarettes, right? Too many shows/movies?)). But at the end of the day, he could also choose to just sit in his cell and serve his sentence.

Nope.

Over the years, the courts have held that inmates may be required to work and are not protected by the constitutional prohibition against involuntary servitude.[11] They have also consistently held that inmates have no constitutional right to compensation and that inmates are paid by the "grace of the state.”[11] Under the Federal Bureau of Prisons, all able-bodied sentenced prisoners were required to work, except those who participated full time in education or other treatment programs or who were considered security risks.[11] Correctional standards promulgated by the American Correctional Association provide that sentenced inmates, who are generally housed in maximum, medium, or minimum security prisons, be required to work and be paid for that work.[11] Some states require, as with Arizona, all able-bodied inmates to work.[12]

[MMIX]

I always thought any type of labor for private companies by prisoners was a choice. I thought it worked a little like this:

Prisoner has a 4 year sentence. But, if he does some labor work for any of the various companies that offer it through the prison, he can earn anything from privileges, to the label of "good behavior," and possibly small amounts of money (Or prison currency (Cigarettes, right? Too many shows/movies?)). But at the end of the day, he could also choose to just sit in his cell and serve his sentence.

Nope.

Over the years, the courts have held that inmates may be required to work and are not protected by the constitutional prohibition against involuntary servitude.[11] They have also consistently held that inmates have no constitutional right to compensation and that inmates are paid by the "grace of the state.”[11] Under the Federal Bureau of Prisons, all able-bodied sentenced prisoners were required to work, except those who participated full time in education or other treatment programs or who were considered security risks.[11] Correctional standards promulgated by the American Correctional Association provide that sentenced inmates, who are generally housed in maximum, medium, or minimum security prisons, be required to work and be paid for that work.[11] Some states require, as with Arizona, all able-bodied inmates to work.[12]

With that catchy national anthem
. . .

the land of the free and the home of the slave

or something like that

[Dubya]

When I worked for the Texas prisons, the inmates weren't "required" to work, but if they didn't, their privileges were substantially reduced. E.g. no commisary, no time in the rec yard, no visitation except for their lawyer.

Then again, when I worked for them, they were being watched for civil rights violations as a result of losing a class action suit. I had it on good authority that when the oversight was gone, it would be back to the good old days of gratuitous brutality.

[POFP]

I always thought any type of labor for private companies by prisoners was a choice. I thought it worked a little like this:

Prisoner has a 4 year sentence. But, if he does some labor work for any of the various companies that offer it through the prison, he can earn anything from privileges, to the label of "good behavior," and possibly small amounts of money (Or prison currency (Cigarettes, right? Too many shows/movies?)). But at the end of the day, he could also choose to just sit in his cell and serve his sentence.

Nope.

Over the years, the courts have held that inmates may be required to work and are not protected by the constitutional prohibition against involuntary servitude.[11] They have also consistently held that inmates have no constitutional right to compensation and that inmates are paid by the "grace of the state.”[11] Under the Federal Bureau of Prisons, all able-bodied sentenced prisoners were required to work, except those who participated full time in education or other treatment programs or who were considered security risks.[11] Correctional standards promulgated by the American Correctional Association provide that sentenced inmates, who are generally housed in maximum, medium, or minimum security prisons, be required to work and be paid for that work.[11] Some states require, as with Arizona, all able-bodied inmates to work.[12]

Well, shit. This is starting to piss me off, then.

When I worked for the Texas prisons, the inmates weren't "required" to work, but if they didn't, their privileges were substantially reduced. E.g. no commisary, no time in the rec yard, no visitation except for their lawyer.

Then again, when I worked for them, they were being watched for civil rights violations as a result of losing a class action suit. I had it on good authority that when the oversight was gone, it would be back to the good old days of gratuitous brutality.

Ah, so it was more negative reinforcement than positive. And that was in the "good" times.

I actually feel dumb for being surprised by that.

[Dubya]

As far as I know, TDCJ only made things for the prison system itself, not for outside commerce. But I had little to do with that end of things. I was busy enough trying to make sure everyone stayed where they were supposed to be, in more or less the same state of health as when my shift started.

I do know that somewhere in Texas, theres a prison where they make bologna. Its green. Most inmates ate from their commisary stash on bologna days.

[POFP]

FUCK. I already can't stand bologna. Every piece of bologna I see from now on will be imagined as green.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I also learned recently that while I had been under the impression that prison inmates are entitled to a college education, actually they are only permitted to take correspondence/online courses if they are court ordered to, and it is very rare.

Good times!

[POFP]

I also learned recently that while I had been under the impression that prison inmates are entitled to a college education, actually they are only permitted to take correspondence/online courses if they are court ordered to, and it is very rare.

Good times!

Shit. I was just under that impression until just now. I know several people that are currently under that impression.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I also learned recently that while I had been under the impression that prison inmates are entitled to a college education, actually they are only permitted to take correspondence/online courses if they are court ordered to, and it is very rare.

Good times!

Shit. I was just under that impression until just now. I know several people that are currently under that impression.

Sadly, no. Can't have those degenerate criminals learning skills that might make them able to earn a living! It's unAmerican.

[POFP]

I also learned recently that while I had been under the impression that prison inmates are entitled to a college education, actually they are only permitted to take correspondence/online courses if they are court ordered to, and it is very rare.

Good times!

Shit. I was just under that impression until just now. I know several people that are currently under that impression.

Sadly, no. Can't have those degenerate criminals learning skills that might make them able to earn a living! It's unAmerican.

But... but... If they were taught how to make livable or enjoyable amounts of money through legal means and honest use of community resources, then they wouldn't commit crimes. If they don't commit crimes, how the hell are we gonna have enough prisoners to have prison guard jobs? If we decrease the number of prisoners, we lose jobs. YOUR ANTI JOB! YOUR A GOTDAMN TERRIST!

[Dubya]

 

Spoken like a Texan.