
Across the country the largest prison strike is taking place, vowing to “finally end slavery in 2016.”
Right now there’s a national movement mobilizing to raise the federal minimum wage to a living wage of $15 an hour. But imagine if instead of earning even that much, you could only earn a few cents an hour.
If that sounds like something from the developing world, think again. The reality is our prisons are perpetuating slave labor.
Every day, incarcerated people work long hours for barely any money. Meanwhile, prisons charge inmates for everything from telephone calls, to extra food and convenience items, to occupying a bed.