Highway Signs and Prison Labor | Freakonomics Radio

[@Asuran500]

Thanks Steven ❤

[@matthewbittenbender9191]

One thing not discussed about The economics of prison labor is the impact on The industries in which they delve. The problem is labor so cheap that other industries can't compete on open market for major contracts. Prison labor is similar to outsourced manufacturing in the past tariff barriers were erected to prevent foreign companies with cheap labor flooding the market with commercial and consumer products in which American manufacturing couldn't compete. The standard of living in the United States is higher, and therefore, wages are higher. Rather than executives take less of a profit, they outsource instead. So it goes with prison labor. There's also the question as to whether it's moral to use prison labor particularly here in the United States given its history. It is a bastardized version of slavery. After the South lost the Covol War, this became a way of re-institutionalizing a 2nd class citizenry not just for cheap labor, but for keeping down minorities and so-called undesirable white folks alike. Today, in many areas, the DOJ has become a defacto recruitment agency over prosecuting for minor offenses and keeping the prison population bloated. And just as with foreign companies using child labor who have no other options (which nearly all Americans deem repugnant) prison labor too can be abused even as it promises to provide job skills training for those who hope to return to society one day. I have worked in prisoner reentry at a high level as well as with a electronic disposal company that partnered with UNICOR, a major company with nearly 80 locations, that uses prison labor for myriad industries. While costs are low, their management is inefficient due to being insulated from market competition. There is also a level of corruption that has developed in some plants due to that insular company culture most commonly staffed with former BOP employees.

[@KJHickums]

these audio records look like there is a video for these why are they