this post was submitted on 14 Nov 2024
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I'd argue that simple chores can be used to help inmates get used to structured work as part of a reintegration effort. Of course that only makes sense if reintegration is the main goal of the prison system, which isn't the case in the United States.
In any way, if inmates were to do labor, they'd have to be subject to labor law including worker protections and minimum wage provisions. That would probably require the United States to abolish slavery first, which isn't going to happen anytime soon.
If it's not against their will. Sure.
A guy I knew once that I definitely wouldn't call a friend, used to say, "the only way you can change a man is if he's in diapers."
And in a lot of different aspects that has resonated with me, in this case, if you're forcing a person to do labor in order to make that a better functioning member of society... It's not going to work. They may just do the work they are forced to do without changing at all. Or they just cause trouble. OR, you hire prisoners to do the job that they need and then substitute labor that they can't hire within. But the logic or forcing someone into submission just will never work, that's definitely a reason why the recidivation is high.
A lot of these folks in prison were raised "free range" or completely feral and thus were never taught even the most basic elements of home care and cleaning. Knowing how and when to do those "chores" is essential should any of them want to reintegrate into society as any sort of a functioning person. Like the military will show recruits basic hygiene because some of these recruits were never taught it.
Man…. The disconnect here
Prisons are almost entirely run by prisoners. There are no “labor laws”
That's what they're saying.
If prisoners are to do manual labor, labor laws should apply, but that would require the USA to abolish slavery.
Nonsense. Of course abolishing prison slavery would be a good thing. But the alternative, should such involuntary servitude remain, would be to impose humane regulations on such labor.