1y ago

The Convict Leasing Forced Labor System

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/11237867

You're viewing a single thread.

68 comments

Either stay in your country or go through the proper channels. Or work as a field laborer for pennies on the dollar...sounds like there are a couple choices here, no one is forcing people to cross illegally. Edit I read no good, my b
- Either stay in your country or go through the proper channels. Or work as a field laborer for pennies on the dollar…sounds like there are a couple choices here, no one is forcing people to cross illegally.
  In your rush to dunk on folks who have made a difficult decision at a low point in their likely quite difficult lives, you failed to actually read what you replied to. But I'm guessing your response is now "they are criminals so they have no rights, and so who cares about their humanity."
  
  So you didn't read the meme still, or are we changing topics now? I'm interested to hear your defense of slavery.
  
  First, riddle me this and I'll decide whether to engage with you or not. Is breaking the law a choice? I'm not debating whether the laws are right or wrong.
  
  First, riddle me this and I’ll decide whether to engage with you or not.
  Don't worry, I've already made that decision for you. Good Day!
  
  Will u b my fren
  
  This is what total total institutionalization looks like, folks.
  
  Since there is literally no activity one can engage in without breaking some law or another in the US? No.
  
  R u a bad boy/girl
  
  They're literally illegalizing porn and being gay
  
  I did read it wrong 😂 my bad
  
  It's not OK to treat the undocumented like slaves either FWIW.
  
  We treat our own people like slaves, what makes them so special?
  
  We treat our own people like slaves, what makes them so special?
  You are super close to seeing the actual point.
  
  You’re close to the point, just keep on down that path a little farther
  
  That it's ok to let prisoners work to pay for their own housing and food instead of the taxpayers?
  
  Profits are being made off of prison labor! That can only mean the amount they produce is greater than what they receive from the state. So they're not just working for food and housing - they're working to make someone else richer.
  
  I'm not saying this is not true but profit is made off all labor. Show me some good sources when you get time, I am genuinely interested
  
  If you want an example, the hellhole prison nicknamed "Angola" (because it's full of black people haha so funny) is a good case study for why this is slavery and not just prisoners paying their way through prison.
  They're forced to do work or get solitary confinement, make $0.02/hr under inhumane conditions, punish people who get heat stroke, don't provide shade or fans or clean water (literally, they have to drink dirty water if they don't use their teeny wages to buy water) or anything, in temperatures that exceed 113°F in Louisiana. They're forced to water plants with paper cups, pick rotten fruit by hand, weeding by hand, it's all totally pointless shit an the cruelty is the point.
  
  Why is it supposed to be funny? It's true that the majority is black and Angola is a nation in Africa, is that embarrassing to blacks? I asked for a source but I looked it up, It does look pretty tough. So you are saying that because of LAs barbaric shit? It does sound really cruel but it doesn't sound like it's pointless work, just sounds like AG work. So you want to use this case to abolish any work opportunities for inmates across the US? When I was in prison, I was everything from a janitor to a highway department worker to a rehab program mentor..Hell at one point I raised 3 dogs that are successful service animals now. these jobs supported me with enough money for basic snacks, phone calls and toiletries.. They helped keep me alive because I was facing 20 years at 100% and had a lot of suicidal thoughts. Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that no one is going to listen if you are going for the "all or nothing" stance because a lot of work programs do help.
  
  That maybe we shouldn’t be treating anyone like that and that if we are going to have people work, yes even prisoners, should be paid a fair rate instead of pennies on the dollar.
  
  I'm gonna pass on that and I've been locked up working those jobs. What are we treating them like? They have a choice..If you don't want to, they don't make you but believe me..you want those jobs..The fair rate is calculated after working in the cost of your housing, a victims compensation fund, your food and medical care.. plus you get a reduction on your sentence and you aren't institutionalized as bad..you never thought about that did you Toby? Now get to picking that cotton boy!
  
  Yes, you just seem like such a good person.
  I’m gonna stick with we should treat all people as people, not property.
  Especially because in America there is a damn good chance they have done nothing wrong.
  
  I'm definitely not a good person.and I hope you never meet the majority of the people I was around..Sure a few of them might be innocent of what they were serving time for but they have done a lot more than what they were caught doing and a lot of them spend their time networking with others in their trade and learn how to not make mistakes the next time.
- This is out of touch and quite inaccurate at the same time
- You realize that this can happen to your uncle Cletus and not just illegal immigrants, right? Lol I'm going to assume not, based on your answer. I'm sorry that your parents, yourself, and your school district failed to educate you - there's still information out here though, just look around. Ask for help if you need to, there's lots of adults around.
  
  I've been to prison and to be honest... When you have a job in there that pays usually 60 to 70 cents an hour, it's so much better than sitting on your ass and calling your friends/family asking for a handout...It sounds crazy, but after a while you literally crave a purpose/job.
  
  A purpose != a job. Capitalism has tried to equate the two, but it is incorrect
  
  I'm going to break it down into easier concepts. You get bored out of your god damn skull and you want to do anything to pass the time and get out of your cell.
  
  I definitely understand that and I've seen that sentiment over and over in news/documentaries about such topics. People like to be busy, work, have meaning, purpose. Activate the mind, pass time. It does not mean that the people should be exploited even if it's beneficial to them.
  I have spent just several days in jail and I know that time. fuckin. crawls.
  
  What do you think about community service?
  
  I think that you need to bring a person understanding and reasoning first and foremost when it comes to crime and punishment. Rehabilitation and education come to mind. If the offender hasn't mentally changed or grown, it may be unlikely that any benefit from the service time is realized, though it could still lead to it. Change can be prompted from different angles.
  People don't need to be subject to "extended community service" simply because there may be a silver lining somewhere. There are many people locked up for crimes they didn't commit, and many punishments do not fit the crime, so allowing a grand exploitation scheme is still fucked up and not some Disney magic where people learn lessons and find some quirky meaning.
- The point is that because of the lack of illegal immigrants, they now need to use prisoners as slaves instead.
  
  I'm not opposed, yeah I read the post wrong
- What about children who were brought across the busted with their family illegally. They were forced.
  
  They aren't thrown in prison or forced to work either now are they?

68 comments