The hidden side of the prison labor economy

Written By Madelyn S

Marketplace Morning Report, June 17, 2021: The hidden side of the prison labor economy

“There’s a striking scene in Brett Story’s documentary “The Prison in 12 Landscapes” that captures the complicated and exploitative aspect of rehabilitative prison labor programs: An incarcerated firefighter, explaining how they’re not allowed to talk to others on the job, adds that — because of their criminal record — they have a slim chance of becoming a firefighter upon leaving prison.”

Additional reading:

PBS, June 18, 2021: Lawmakers revive calls to end forced labor for felons to mark Juneteenth

NPR, June 29, 2020: The Uncounted Workforce

PBS, May 8, 2020: Cheap labor means prisons still turn a profit, even during a pandemic

Urban Institute, February 21, 2017: Ban the Box and Racial Discrimination

Madelyn S
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