Comment on Always look on the bright side of life

thezeesystem@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

• erev@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  The prison complex doesn’t want you to call it that, but yes. The 13th amendment makes a specific exception for slavery if the person is imprisoned. That’s why prisoners “work” for way below minimum wage in a variety of jobs that they probably didn’t choose. Not to mention that the majority of prisoners are people of color…

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• Kase@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  I was curious how many people in prison are forced to work. If this source is correct, it’s about 2/3. But the conditions of that work are apparently worse than I’d thought. Here’s the original report (posted last year) and an article with a summary. Correction is welcome if this is inaccurate ◉⁠‿⁠◉

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  • jol@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Does matter… Had sex? 🥹

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    • Kase@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Sorry, what?

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• Addition@sh.itjust.works ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Only if they force you to work.

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  • andthenthreemore@startrek.website ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

    (emphasis mine)

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    • Addition@sh.itjust.works ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      That is correct. Not sure if you were trying to dispute my comment but to clarify, the remark I was making is that slavery =/= imprisonment on its own. Slavery = imprisonment + work.

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      • ynthrepic@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        It is torture on its own, which might be the more critical point. The extent varies, but spending time on most of the world’s prisons still break your mental health in ways that will only make reintegration back into society harder in the end.

        We almost all know this already, which is the tragic part.

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• dingus@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  I’m not at all excusing it, but don’t prisoners technically get paid for their work? It’s just some horrifically pathetic wage like $0.50/hr or something like that.

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  • themoken@startrek.website ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Earning a pittance doesn’t mean they’re not slaves. They’re slaves because they can’t quit. Prisoners have basically zero agency in their lives.

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  • AnxiousOtter@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Slavery doesn’t have anything to do with compensation. Slavery is about the absence of choice.

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  • Whippygoatcream@reddthat.com ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    You are not wrong

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• Lemmyvisitor@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  what is the alternative

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  • JimVanDeventer@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Not… slavery?

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    • Lemmyvisitor@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      what do you want to happen to people who commit crimes then

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      • GoosLife@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        The Scandinavian system works …ucsf.edu/norways-humane-approach-prisons-can-wor…

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      • AnxiousOtter@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Not… Slavery? Nobody said prisoners need to be used as slave labour. The removal of freedom is sufficient punishment.

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• Kusimulkku@lemm.ee ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Well in the US it is I guess

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