SLAVERY IS STILL LEGAL in the USA. Contrary to what we may learn in school, the American Civil War did not see the complete abolition of slavery in 1865. The 13th Amendment to their constitution reads "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude except as punishment for a crime..."
Great numbers of newly freed blacks were quickly 'convicted' and forced to work without pay in state prisons. For those unfortunates all that happened was that ownership of slaves transferred from private parties to the state. Today, with the advent of private, profit-making prisons and prison factories slavery still exists and is moving back to the private sector.
UNICOR operates 90 prison factories and is rapidly expanding. San Quentin inmates enter computer data for the Bank of America. Prisoners in New Mexico take hotel reservations by phone. Hawaiian convicts pack golf balls and at Folsom they manufacture stainless steel vats for beer brewers. The list goes on and on.
Businesses all over the USA are jumping at the chance to hire prisoners. And why wouldn't any greedy boss? They can hire a workforce from the prison for a fraction of what they would have to pay their regular workers. And there is no unemployment insurance to pay, no health benefits, no sick pay and no holidays. It is estimated that total US prison sales will reach $8.9 billion by 1999.
Joe King
