Prisoners in the US are part of a hidden workforce linked to hundreds of popular food brands
apnews.com
The Associated Press found goods linked to prisoners wind up in the supply chains of everything from Frosted Flakes to Coca-Cola.

Prisoners in the US are part of a hidden workforce linked to hundreds of popular food brands

Unmarked trucks packed with prison-raised cattle roll out of the Louisiana State Penitentiary, where men are sentenced to hard labor and forced to work, for pennies an hour or sometimes nothing at all. After rumbling down a country road to an auction house, the cows are bought by a local rancher and then followed by The Associated Press another 600 miles to a Texas slaughterhouse that feeds into the supply chains of giants like McDonald’s, Walmart and Cargill…

  • ramble81@lemm.eeEnglish
    0·
    6 months ago

    Can someone help me understand. “forced to work… sometimes for nothing”. Can anyone tell me how an inmate can’t refuse that? What are the ramifications of them basically saying “um, no”. Especially those in there with life sentences.

    • MaskTaster@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      6 months ago

      Suspension of privileges (e.g., social or outdoor time) will always be a big one as will the threat of solitary confinement. Beyond officially sanctioned repercussions like those though, inmates could reasonably fear targeted harassment or violence from guards if they are “uncooperative” or “troublemakers”

    • skulblaka@startrek.websiteEnglish
      0·
      6 months ago

      Just because you’re in prison forever doesn’t mean there isn’t further punishment that can be doled out. Officially, solitary confinement is a pretty catch-all punishment for misbehavior, and extended stays in solitary can and will drive humans insane. Like, nonfunctionally insane, can no longer interact with other humans without extensive therapy. Unofficially, prisoners can get the shit kicked out of them on the regular by gangs of guards, or specially targeted for constant “random” shakedowns, have rumors spread about them among other inmates, the list goes on.

      For non-lifers, you can always get time tacked on. For lifers, you can paint a target on yourself for guard harassment or lock yourself into solitary until you’re no longer a human being. And the constitution enshrines slavery as being specifically allowed as punishment for a crime in Amendment 13, so unfortunately the prison is well within its rights to do so and punish for noncompliance.