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Aminah Elster
- October 2, 2024
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During the recent Vice Presidential debate, J.D. Vance made a statement that revealed a troubling irony in the ongoing discourse around economic reform. When asked by a moderator if former President Trump remains committed to his proposed $5,000 per child tax credit, Vance explained that the campaign plans to fund this initiative by penalizing countries that use slave labor to produce goods, which are then shipped back to the U.S. at lower prices, thereby undercutting American wages.
This statement, while outwardly noble, reveals a glaring blind spot in the current conversation on economic policy and forced labor: the U.S. itself heavily relies on prison labor—a practice that can only be described as modern-day slavery. Prison labor is employed to manufacture goods, often for major U.S. companies, at incredibly low wages. These goods are then sold to American consumers at a significant mark-up.
For instance, brands like McDonald’s, Kroger, and Coca-Cola have been linked to forced prison labor. Incarcerated individuals, disproportionately people of color, are paid as little as 12 cents per hour to produce everything from packaging to furniture, yet they do not enjoy the same rights or benefits as free workers. This system is allowed to persist because of a loophole in the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery “except as punishment for a crime.”
America’s Double Standard on Slave Labor
The irony of Vance’s statement becomes even more pronounced when we consider how the U.S. simultaneously condemns the use of slave labor abroad while perpetuating a system of exploitation at home. The prison industrial complex ensures that cheap labor remains available to meet the demands of various industries, all while incarcerated individuals, many of whom are incarcerated for non-violent offenses, remain locked in a cycle of economic exploitation and disempowerment.
This hypocrisy has been highlighted in the acclaimed documentary The 13th, which explores the link between the 13th Amendment, mass incarceration, and forced prison labor. It sheds light on how lawmakers and corporations’ profit from this system, raising serious ethical questions about who truly benefits from “cheap labor” and how much it costs society in terms of human dignity and justice.
The Role of Prop 6: Ending Forced Labor in California
Fortunately, there is a movement within California to end this practice. Proposition 6 (Prop 6) is a critical measure on the ballot that would abolish forced labor in California prisons. If passed, Prop 6 would amend the state constitution to remove the exception that allows for forced labor as punishment for a crime—a loophole similar to the one in the 13th Amendment that continues to enable the exploitation of incarcerated individuals.
Passing Prop 6 is a vital step toward addressing the injustice of forced prison labor and moving toward a more equitable criminal justice system. It is not enough to speak out against human rights violations in other countries while ignoring the exploitation of incarcerated individuals in our own. By supporting Prop 6, Californians have the chance to send a clear message: Forced labor has no place in our economy, and prison labor must be fairly compensated and tied to rehabilitation, not exploitation.
The Need for Introspection: Time to Confront Our Own Systems
At a time when presidential candidates and lawmakers are quick to call out foreign countries for their human rights violations, it is essential that we turn the spotlight inward and examine our own systems of exploitation. The use of prison labor in the U.S. is morally indefensible, especially when incarcerated individuals are paid pennies for their work, denied basic rights, and treated as disposable.
Rather than focusing on how other countries undercut American wages, we must confront how our own policies create a workforce that is forced into labor under conditions that amount to modern-day slavery. The U.S. must address the mass incarceration crisis and overhaul the prison labor system if we are to maintain any credibility when calling for ethical labor practices abroad.
What Lawmakers Can Do
There are several steps lawmakers and presidential candidates can take to address the issue of forced prison labor:
- Support Prop 6 in California: Ensure that forced labor is abolished in California prisons by passing this critical measure.
- Amend the 13th Amendment: On a national level, close the loophole that allows for forced labor as punishment for a crime, thus ending the exploitation of incarcerated individuals.
- Increase Wages for Incarcerated Workers: Ensure that incarcerated individuals are paid a fair wage for their labor, allowing them to support themselves and their families.
- Hold Corporations Accountable: Penalize companies that profit from prison labor and ensure they contribute fair compensation for incarcerated workers rather than exploiting them for profit.
- Promote Alternatives to Incarceration: Shift toward community-based rehabilitation and less restrictive programs that provide opportunities for education and job training outside of the prison system.
- Support Reentry Programs: Invest in reentry programs that help formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate into society with dignity and access to meaningful employment opportunities.
Conclusion: A Call to Action
Before lawmakers and presidential candidates can credibly criticize other nations for their reliance on slave labor, it’s time for them to address the injustice in their own backyard. The U.S. must reckon with its reliance on prison labor and the exploitation of incarcerated individuals, many of whom are marginalized and lack basic rights.
By supporting Prop 6 in California, we can take a necessary step toward abolishing forced labor in prisons and paving the way for broader systemic reforms. The solution is not to simply shift blame onto other countries but to transform our own systems—ensuring that human dignity, fair compensation, and justice are at the heart of American labor practices. As voters and citizens, we must hold our leaders accountable for addressing these issues and demand real change that ends the exploitation of incarcerated workers.
