Big Business Or Slave Labor? What Prisoners Make In Jail

Written by NewsOne Staff on October 3, 2011 2:59 pm

 

 

If you thought slavery or human exploitation was over, think again.

Many human rights organizations are condemining what they call human slavery in which Wall Street investors and big companies are investing in the prison industry as they don’t have to worry about strikes, vacations, compensation time or unemployment insurance. They dont have to deal with sicknesses or lateness. Many of these prisoners are threatened with solitary confinement if they refuse to work for these wages.
This also makes it very clear to people that there are more incentives to lock up people in this country. The US has become extremely attractive to companies who would usually use labor in 3rd world countries. They now look toward prison wages for all the advantages they offer a corporation. The U.S. is 5 percent of the world’s population, but comprises a quarter of all prisoners in the world.
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Check out some random facts about the prison labor industry and some of the companies involved in it.

• Starbucks contractor Signature Packing Solutions once hired Washington prisoners to package holiday coffees as did Nintendo with their Game Boys.
• Microsoft once had prisoners shrink wrap software
• In Texas, inmates produce brooms, brushes, bedding, mattresses, toilets, sinks and showers.
• Dell once had inmates recycle PC’s but a watchdog group pprevented them from doing so because it would expose inmates to toxins.
• Inmates have also produced missile cables. They also cut aircut components which pay them 7.00 an hour when on the outside union wages would be 30.00.
• California inmates sew their own garbs.
• Prisoners in Wisconsin once helped build a Walmart in 2005 until community uproar halted the program.
• Prison industry pproduces 100 pct of all military helments, ammo belts, bulletproof vest, etc.
• Private prisons pay from 93 cents to $4.73 per hour.
• Federal prisons pay from  93 cents to $1.25 per hour.