Should parole boards consider participation in prison jobs when evaluating for release? Is that coerced labor? Should they have right of refusal?

[DrPepper12]

Maybe even the right to unionize? Strike? Collectively bargain?

Yes it's coerced labor. They should also have unions.

Yes it's coerced labor. They should NOT 🚫 have union's.

No it's not coerced labor. Do what you're told felon!

Yes it's coerced labor BUT participation should NOT 🚫 impact parole

Yes it's coerced labor. Want to go home? Do what you're told!

Unionized prisoners? And you wonder why you're the "Looney Left"?

I feel you but let me explain...

[WindAtMyBack]

Certainly not coerced. Damn, ANYTHING is better than sitting around bored as hell all day. Getting a job would be a total luxury. If I was in prison it's the first thing I'd do.

The parole boards know that cons know the game and are playing it for everything they can. The parole board needs something to go on, but they are dealing with lies and deception. I seriously don't even see how it's possible to sort it out.

I've been in jail many times. Forget all that nonsense you see in documentaries. Jail is about:

1) You can't leave.
2) There is not a damn thing to do.

As for parole boards, they should all be ex-cons. They are the only ones who stand a chance of sorting things out.

[lightbulb27]

of course! the question is not just did they serve their time but moreso... are the reformed. if not reformed, repeat. They should have 12 prisons...1st grade to 12th. Make your bed and cleanup messes all the way to "Can you solve this problem under stress".

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

So, the thing with parole boards is that they consider the prisoner’s potential job prospects, and this can include whether or not they’ve participated in the prison slave labor systems. Prisons are very heavily organized places, there’s not much need for a union if the work is voluntary, as is the case with most prisons. They may only work for.25 a day, but it’s something to do outside of the usual routine. And I have no doubt that some prisons would reward those who chose to take jobs over not taking them.

[msmissydc]

Prison jobs should not be mandatory but should be considered when evaluating parole.

[exitseven]

A prison guard told me this story. The local state prison had a work release program and if a prisoner participated in it , it would mean a shorter sentence. They contracted with a local show company and they would train people to make shoes. There were two guys that were in the program and they were taught how to work the welting machine which is a heavy duty sewing machine which stitches the sole onto the upper.
On the first day. the two guys went out for lunch and got stoned. When they got back one guy was stitching a sole to a shoe and he accidently stitched his hand to it. The other guy saw it and said he wanted to bo back to jail.

[msc545]

I write this as someone who worked for several years as a prison doctor:

It is coerced labor in a way, but most prisoners will volunteer for it because far and away the very worst thing about prison is the BOREDOM, which is a killer. Prisoners compete for prison jobs to stave off boredom.

[Likes2drive]

They pretty much have to do whatever they’re told since they’re in prison they really don’t have any rights while in there

[msc545]

This is untrue. They have some rights:

Constitutional Rights Retained:

First Amendment (Freedom of Religion and Speech)
Prisoners still have the right to practice their religion and to hold political or personal beliefs. However, prisons can impose restrictions if they are necessary for safety or order (for example, limiting group gatherings or materials deemed dangerous).

Eighth Amendment (Protection from Cruel and Unusual Punishment)
This is one of the strongest rights for prisoners. It requires prisons to provide humane conditions, adequate medical care, and to avoid excessive force or abusive treatment.

Fourteenth Amendment (Due Process and Equal Protection)
Prisoners retain the right to due process in disciplinary hearings that could lead to loss of good-time credits, solitary confinement, or other significant penalties. They also have the right to be free from discrimination based on race, religion, or other protected classes.

[msc545]

Statutory Rights

Access to Courts and Legal Representation
Prisoners have a constitutional right of access to the courts, which means they must be given reasonable access to legal materials or legal assistance. They may communicate confidentially with their lawyers.

Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) & Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA)
These federal laws strengthen protections for religious exercise inside prisons.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The ADA applies to prisons, so prisoners with disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations.

Rights That Can Be Restricted

Privacy
Prisoners lose much of their privacy—cells may be searched, and phone calls (other than with attorneys) can be monitored. Even mail can be censored or read under certain conditions.

Voting Rights
In most states, people lose the right to vote while incarcerated for a felony, though some states allow voting from prison. Rights are typically restored after release, but the process varies by state.

Freedom of Movement and Association
These are heavily curtailed for obvious reasons—prisoners can be segregated, limited in whom they contact, and required to follow strict schedules.

Other Protections

Medical Care
The state must provide adequate medical and mental health care. Denial of necessary care can violate the Eighth Amendment.

Protection from Violence
Prison officials have a constitutional duty to take reasonable steps to protect prisoners from violence by staff or other inmates.

[msc545]

Don't allege things that you know nothing about.

[Likes2drive]

@msc545 not enough rights to really make a difference since they’re in prison you already know they could do whatever they want to inmates and nobody will say anything or stick up for them because they are criminals

[msc545]

#likes2drive Have you worked in a prison or been an inmate in one? I worked as a prison doctor for 2 years in a maximum security prison, so I know a bit about them.

[Likes2drive]

@msc545 no but my stepdad was years ago for more than a year