Comment

The Worst Right Wing Tweet So Far About the Isla Vista Murders

193
kirkspencer5/26/2014 7:20:33 am PDT

re: #168 A Mom Anon

I seem to remember reading somewhere that small scale manufacturing is done in some prisons, prisoners usually make way less than minimum wage. Since he’s not a “violent offender”, at least that we know of, he’d probably end up doing manual labor like picking up garbage or cleaning trash out of creeks and lakes, things like that. Let’s hope it’s in Summer and it’s hot, miserable and involves lots of biting flies.

Since I used to be in the business, a little education. First, it varies by state, and the federal system is different yet again. IN GENERAL, however…

Labor is optional. That said, the majority choose to work for two reasons. First, they get paid. And other than basic necessities, if they want it someone other than the state has to pay for it. How much they get paid depends on the type of labor they’re doing and various state laws but courts have ruled labor is optional and the state has to pay both for the labor and basic necessities. I leave the question of what counts as a ‘basic necessity’ undefined as some states have pushed that line far enough there are lawsuits pending. (You want to launder your jumpsuit and underwear? That’ll be …)

The second reason inmates choose labor is absolute simple boredom. If you’re not working then in most facilities you’re locked in your cell, or at most have access to a common dayroom. Same four walls for hours a day, days a year. For a few hours a day you get to go somewhere else to eat, and there’s some opportunity to do recreation or go to the library, but for the most part that’s the same time as those who’ve chosen to work … or get an education. There’s been a lot of cutting back on that, but earning a GED is still available. Mostly.

Remember that notionally the punishment of prison is its isolation from the real world, and that the primary purpose is redirection in hopes of rehabilitation. They can’t do it right because we’ve got a lot of revenge wrapped up in the idea, but that’s the goal anyway. So punitive labor - labor just for labor’s sake, and especially labor that is de facto slavery - is supposed to be forbidden. And mostly it is.