NewsInside The Dangerous Jobs American Prisoners Are Forced Into

Inside The Dangerous Jobs American Prisoners Are Forced Into

A new investigation reveals the dangerous life-threatening jobs American prisoners are forced into for little to no payment.

A new investigation is revealing the dangerous life-threatening jobs American prisoners are forced into for little to no payment.

On Thursday, May 16, the Associated Press released a two-year investigation that takes a deep dive into the prison labor that dates back to slavery and has always disproportionately impacted people of color. With laws in place that allow for private companies to take advantage of the ever expanding captive workforce, a multibillion-dollar industry has burgeoned with little oversight.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of prisoners are put to work at dangerous jobs with little to no training where they’re paid pennies an hour or nothing at all. American citizens serving out prison sentences are employed to fight wildfires, operate heavy machinery, or work on industrial-sized farms and meat-processing plants where they’re denied basic rights and protections the average American worker would receive.

As a result, many are left seriously injured or lose their lives to jobs that exclude them from workers’ compensation benefits and state and federal laws for health and safety. Many of the private companies behind the dangerous jobs serve as supply chains to huge companies like McDonald’s, Target, Albertsons, Cargill, Walmart, Burger King, and more.

Hickman’s is a major supplier of eggs to companies like McDonalds, Target, and Albertsons and markets eggs with brands like Land O’ Lakes, Eggland’s Best, and their own.

“They end up being mangled in ways that will affect them for the rest of their lives,” said Joel Robbins, a lawyer who has represented several prisoners hired by Hickman’s.

“If you’re going to come out with a good resume, you should come out with two hands and two legs and eyes to work.”

Most companies did not respond to requests about their ties to prison labor. But Cargill, which boasts the title of the largest private company in the U.S. with $177 billion in revenue last year, says it is actively working “to ensure there is no prison labor in our extended supplier network.”

Prisoner strikes demanding more rights are uncommon and swiftly suppressed. The U.S. Supreme Court has also ruled that inmates cannot join or form unions, call an ambulance, or request hospital transport for life-threatening job-related injuries.

Those who choose to sue face challenging obstacles, such as finding a lawyer willing to take their case. The challenges only heightened after the federal Prison Litigation Reform Act was enacted almost three decades ago to reduce the surge of lawsuits accompanying the growing prison populations.

In most states, public institutions are not liable for incarcerated workers’ injuries or deaths.

“We’ve got this category of human beings that can be wrongfully harmed and yet left with no remedy for their harm,” Michael Duff, a law professor at Saint Louis University and an expert on labor law said.

RELATED CONTENT: ‘Modern-Day Form Of Slavery’: Lawsuit Alleges Alabama Denies Parole To Use Prisoners For Forced Labor 

Source: Black Enterprise

Kanye West and His Wife, Bianca, Reportedly Have Agreed to Divorce

Nationwide — Kanye West and Bianca Censori are reportedly on the verge of divorce according to The Daily Mail, just 11 days after Censori’s...

Black Radio Veteran With Almost 50 Years in the Industry Captures Historic Memories in Inspiring New Memoir

Nationwide — Veteran broadcaster Kingsley H. Smith worries that community-focused radio has seen better days. The award-winning program director and announcer has written Powerhouse...

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest

Newsletter

Don't miss