WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A. – There is a rising campaign in the United States to pass the historic “US Bill 2025 to End Slavery in Prisons,” which would outlaw forced labour in the country’s prison system.
The initiative, which has received support from international organisations, parliamentarians, and civil rights campaigners, aims to change the U.S. Constitution’s 13th Amendment, which now allows slavery or involuntary servitude as a form of punishment for criminal offences.
This legislative effort coincides with heightened criticism of the American prison labour system, which has long been denounced by campaigners as a modern-day slavery.
Black Americans make up a disproportionate share of the jail population, so the problem has its roots in the nation’s history of racial injustice. The stakes are just as high for foreigners drawn into the American legal system, especially Kenyans.
The reality of prison labour
The exploitation of prison workers, who are sometimes made to labour for little or no pay, lies at the core of the problem. Of the approximately 2 million inmates in the United States, an estimated 800,000 labour in jails or for private firms.
When wages are paid, they are incredibly low. The typical hourly compensation for non-industrial prison occupations ranges from a pitiful $0.13 to $0.52 in certain states, while in others, prisoners work for nothing. Because prisons can take up to 80% for fines, taxes, and other expenses, even these meagre profits are not guaranteed. In addition to benefiting state governments and private businesses, this system feeds the cycle of poverty and disenfranchised.
Activists are aware of the similarities to historical exploitation. The current system is sometimes compared to “Black Codes,” which were intended to exploit and control recently freed African Americans, and convict leasing schemes that were implemented after the Civil War. The effort to eradicate forced labour is viewed as an extension of the fight for racial and economic justice, given that Black people now comprise a disproportionate share of the jail population.
Calls for reforms
Reform is becoming more and more popular. An “End Slavery Day on the Hill” event was recently held at the State Capitol in Minnesota by the Minnesota Incarcerated Workers Organising Committee (MIWOC). A state-level law to abolish forced labour and reclassify prisoners as workers with employment rights was demanded by hundreds of campaigners at the gathering.
The state-run program MINNCOR Industries, which has come under fire for paying poor salaries, was the focus of the rally. The University of Minnesota recently cancelled its contract with MINNCOR, demonstrating the impact of the campaigning on this subject.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has been made aware of the problem on a global scale by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), in collaboration with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Global Human Rights Clinic at the University of Chicago. They contend that prison employment practices in the United States violate ILO Convention No. 105, which forbids forced labour. The ITUC is advocating for decent wages, the abolition of forced prison employment, and the expansion of labour rights for all jailed workers.
Implications for Kenyans and other immigrants
Kenyans and other immigrants who might be imprisoned in the United States will be significantly impacted by the proposed revisions. A criminal conviction can result in deportation for non-citizens, and their inability to make a living while detained can make it very difficult for them to maintain their families back home or afford legal counsel.
The enactment of US Bill 2025 would guarantee that all workers who are incarcerated receive a fair salary and the same labour safeguards as other workers. Regardless of their nationality, this would be an essential step in defending the human rights of every inmate in the American jail system.
Discussion about this post