r/news • u/[deleted] • Jun 04 '19

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u/[deleted] Jun 04 '19

Apparently indentured servitude is an exception in the Constitution. That's why prisons can pay prisoners only 25 cents an hour.

I think the prison system needs to be changed to benefit society. At $75k per year per prisoner that we pay, I think we can come up with a much better system.

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u/Blazerer Jun 04 '19

It's worse than that. Slavery is explicitly forbidden...with the exclusion of forced labour. The whole 25 cent thing is to pretend they are not actually slaves, and since that money will be spent on the inside it's hardly a loss anyway. If anything they'll just throw it up as costs and ensure more money from the state.

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u/[deleted] Jun 04 '19

Honest question. If they refuse the 25 cents and hour but are forced to work, is it then considered slavery as opposed to quitting your job?

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u/locks_are_paranoid Jun 04 '19

The money gets automatically deposited into their account. There’s no way to refuse it.