Prisons

Human Trafficking and Prison Labor, Part 2:  Understanding the Types of Prison Labor
February 25, 2020

Human Trafficking and Prison Labor, Part 2: Understanding the Types of Prison Labor

Most people assume that in 1865 with the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment slavery in the United States was abolished. However, forced labor still exists in the United States today through the exception built into the Thirteenth Amendment for those who have been “duly convicted of a crime”. This exception made it legal and permissible to continue slavery within prisons in the United States. This is commonly known now as prison labor.

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Human Trafficking and Prison Labor, Part 1: An Overview
February 11, 2020

Human Trafficking and Prison Labor, Part 1: An Overview

This is the first in a three-part blog series authored by Polaris to introduce the issue.  Read part two here, …

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Action Required: Recommendations for Stakeholders Against Labor Exploitation in Private Prisons
November 20, 2017

Action Required: Recommendations for Stakeholders Against Labor Exploitation in Private Prisons

Human Trafficking Search recently published a study which examines the use of labor in private prisons, finding that private prisons are not required to pay inmates a fair wage for the work they do, despite being able to make a profit. This is the third in a blog series to summarize the research.

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Comparing Compensation: What Inmates in Private Prisons Would Otherwise Get Paid
November 13, 2017

Comparing Compensation: What Inmates in Private Prisons Would Otherwise Get Paid

Human Trafficking Search recently published a study which examines the use of labor in private prisons, finding that private prisons are not required to pay inmates a fair wage for the work they do, despite being able to make a profit. This is the second in a blog series to summarize the research.

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Labor Exploitation in Private Prisons: A Blog Series
November 6, 2017

Labor Exploitation in Private Prisons: A Blog Series

Human Trafficking Search recently published a study which examines the use of labor in private prisons, finding that private prisons are not required to pay inmates a fair wage for the work they do, despite being able to make a profit. This is the first in a blog series to summarize the research.

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‘Modern-Day Slavery’: Many Southern States Have Prison Inmates Working in Governor’s Mansions and Capitol Buildings
June 27, 2017

‘Modern-Day Slavery’: Many Southern States Have Prison Inmates Working in Governor’s Mansions and Capitol Buildings

When activist Sam Sinyangwe was awaiting a meeting with the governor’s office at the Louisiana state capitol building in Baton Rouge, he noticed something odd. A black man in a dark-blue jumpsuit was printing papers while a correctional guard—with a badge and gun—stood watching over him. The pair stood out against the white, middle-aged legislators populating the building.

July 20, 2015

Forced Labor in U.S. Detention Centers

A private company in the United States is facing a lawsuit claiming it engaged in forced labor with immigrant detainees. Earlier this month a federal judge ruled that a private detention center in Colorado must face a potential class action suit alleging it violated the Trafficking Victims Protection Act by forcing immigrant detainees to work for little or no pay. The company that runs the detention center, The GEO Group Inc, had asked the judge to dismiss the claims, but the judge denied their motion.