Why can't we use prison inmates as free labor?

Question

after all, you're spending billions of dollars feeding , clothing, washing, toiletting them. you might as well make use of them. if they worked, won't our cost of living decrease?

Soteris · Accepted Answer

They do. If you read the constitution of USA then you will see that slavery is prohibited, except for the single exception of putting prisoners into slave labor. Yes, slavery is alive and well in USA with around 800 000 slaves producing an estimated 11 billion dollars in GDP. Of course, you dont get to see the benefits of this, its primarily for the benefit of the rich to get even richer through cheap labor and if anything you have to pay for the injuries and such caused by putting said slavery workforce into hazardous work.

It is also a pretty bad idea overall. The primary goal of a prison should be to reduce future crime. Something you have limited time to do depending on their sentencing so having them work a 9-5 work would be counter productive to getting them reformed and would just mean that they would get sent back to prison later from their next crime not to mention any new criminals this broken system caused overall.

So yeah, it exists, its VERY productive (for certain people) and it is costing the country even more money in more crime and having to treat the prisoners after they are injured or whatever. Not a very good idea compared to actually successful models.

virtue2332 · Accepted Answer

There needs to be a better system in place than what currently is going on. I happen to have family members and friends in prison. I grew up around it and these are som intelligent and loyal people that looked out for me growing up. Growing up in that enviornment the temptation is strong. Especially when thats what you know and aren't aware of the opportunites that are available. Even more when you need resources to feed the family and keep a roof over your head. As far as free labor is a kin to slavery. I know they did the crime now its time to pay up but facts are innocent people get rolled up as well. I've spent a couple of days in and its not as easy or resource friendly to prove it was a mistake on their part. Fortunatley I'm a Veteran and had resources that allowed me to get out and prove that they were wrong. Another thing to consider is their are some bad people that are probably never going to change thier ways in the system because thats all they know. If given the chance to mess up they probably will. We probably don't want them in a less controlled enviornment plotting thier next move.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I work in a prison. Inmates are routinely assigned jobs within the facility but you can’t use them in the private sector in any way. It’s viewed as slave labor and you probably don’t want them taking jobs from working people either.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

no, inflation would be even more out of control because everyone would have high paying jobs, and not the low paying jobs that no one wants and are given to those prisoners.

OlderAndWiser · Answer

1. They could not be used as labor for private enterprise.

2. There are costs involved with supervising, transporting, and feeding prisoners outside of the prison. It is not "free" labor.

3. I would expect that inmate labor does not provide consisent quality, and it is rarely skilled labor.

OfMiceandMen · Answer

I've always liked the idea of making the inmates work for us in some capacity. They did a crime and they are suppose to pay their debt back to the people they wronged and their debt to society. Why not make them work it off.

Right now, society is paying for them and they aren't doing anything to pay for their crime other than sitting in prison wasting away. At least, if they worked their debt off to a certain point, those skills could go on a resume to demonstrate they can be reintegrated back into society.

There are tons of jobs out there that they could do, that doesn't compete with industry.

Chazmatazz269 · Answer

Corporations DO make use of prison labor. Due to various laws, it’s not free. It is however not only a great deal cheaper than employing “at will” workers because they are paid far less than minimum wages, but arguably unethical because the inmates often have no choice in the matter. If it weren’t for the nominal pay, it would absolutely be considered slavery by any rational standard.
I’m on the pro side of this debate. Don’t want to be enslaved? Sweet! DON’T break the law. Easy breezy!

genericname85 · Answer

hat's exactly what's happening. they are paid a little for the labour they do. far less than in the free market. but they still gotta be paid "something", cause slavery is outlawed. also they still gotta pay up after they went to prison. going to prison isn't a free service.

TheVigilantFox · Answer

Would you want murderers and rapists and child molestors free in society? I’m sure I wouldn’t,

The only thing they’re good for is test subjects for new medications or to use as crash test dummies.

John-E_63 · Answer

I'm sure all the sleazy lawyers protecting their clients lobbied Washington D. C for congress to pass a law protecting prison inmates from being used for free labor. But I agree regardless of whether it is or not, they should be used, they are in prison to serve time for the crime they did, it shouldn't make any difference how they are used to serve that time at the cost of the tax-payers who work hard for the life they live, which can't and shouldn't be said for criminals.

Pyrofox · Answer

A lot of prisons due but. It's mostly limited to the few community service programs. And typically it's only those who didn't ya know commit mass homicide or serial homicide.

Dargil · Answer

They do in a prison setting. Cooking, floor polishing, even making license plates. But slave labor in industry like IG Farben did with Jews in Nazi Germany would qualify as cruel and unusual punishment.

KostasKouvalis · Answer

We do. They use non-violent offenders serving short sentences for janitorial work like trash pick-up and tree cutting. But if we did that with the majority of prisoners they would try to escape or harm someone.

lucasnabizada · Answer

The 13 Amendment of the Constitution against slavery and endangered servitude. You don't force people to work against their will... lol

FilmGuy93 · Answer

Because they have rights, as people. Prisoners are currently used for extremely cheap labor as it is.

Texaskid1 · Answer

Because we have Chinese workers who work hard for 6 dollars a day so we can have smart phones and laptops for cheap.

KrakenAttackin · Answer

This was ruled unlawful as it created an incentive for corrupt Sheriffs to fill the jails when city work needed to be done.

Anonymous · Answer

Liberalism hence why they all protest and are happy to do time

YourToy69 · Answer

Times are different after leftist control our lives

WhitneySnow · Answer

Thirteenth Amendment prohibits slavery

Gummy_Cluster · Answer

Because liberalism is a mental disorder.

Wade12345 · Answer

I agree whole heartedly.

tfan1 · Answer

Watch the Shawshank Redemption 🙂

BJP21 · Answer

Its against labor law.

OddBeMe · Answer

We are and it’s wrong.

Why can't we use prison inmates as free labor?

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