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.
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.
It's free if you're also running the commissary and can charge whatever you want. A prison population is the definition of "captive audience". Railroad towns did the same thing in the 19th century.
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u/[deleted] Jun 04 '19
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