Unpaid, unconvicted, and forced to work—pre-trial detainees in California are allegedly being made to work for free. A lawsuit in California exposes a growing system of exploitation in US jails. Advocates warn that coerced detainee labor may evolve into something far more deliberate: a migrant detention labor system masquerading as immigration enforcement.

Detainees made to work unpaid under threat of solitary confinement

At a California jail, individuals awaiting trial have accused jail officials of forcing them to work without pay. The lawsuit, filed against the county and private contractor Aramark, alleges that detainees had to work in food services and janitorial roles—or face punishment.

The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre reports,

Plaintiffs say they were punished for refusing to work, including through being put into solitary confinement, loss of privileges such as phone access, and being denied visits with their families.

The 13th Amendment prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude—except as punishment for crime. This exception allows governments, prisons, and contracting companies to exploit incarcerated workers—to the tune of billions.

Though these persons have not been convicted of any crime, they are punished with forced labor. A recent California Supreme Court ruling upheld the legality of paying these individuals just $2 per day.

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