The Business of Punishment: How Forced Prison Labor Has Generated Revenue Since the Colonial Era

democracynow.org - We continue our interview with award-winning journalist Shane Bauer about his new book, American Prison, which dives deep into the profit-earning motives of U.S. prisons. Starting with convict labor in colonial-era settlements all the way to present day mass incarceration, Bauer also recounts his own stint as an undercover prison guard at the privately owned Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana, and the four months he was held in solitary confinement in an Iran prison as a political prisoner.
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[@ftwallday3112]

Very important topic thank you

[@staatsfeindlich9939]

From a former correctional officer: Everything Mr. Bauer says is completely accurate. Abolish the prison-industrial complex now! Free all political prisoners! Arrest war profiteers! Oh yeah...and retrain C.O.s for better jobs.

[@heatherstahlnecker9270]

thank you for giving a voice to the voiceless.

[@lonniedobbins778]

$9/hr. To be an armed guard at one of these places. *I got my certification as a guard and worked only a couple of jobs.* *It was a scam to pay as less as possible for security and not enough for anyone to live on. The supervisors and top company employees don't know how to address workers with tact, respect, dignity, professionalism. Not somebody you like to work for. Second job was in building maintenance Engineering, (people thinks maintenance means janitor only), All construction trades are studied and used. *Pays much more.* *Janitors makes more!*

[@trulywylde5726]

It's weird how all modern Countries have outlawed this behavior for moral reasons but the US can bring themselves to do it...

[@paddymaguire1703]

Every 'modern' country has horrible prisons...

[@trulywylde5726]

That's not true! Most Countries have outlawed slavery even third world countries have! US has more prisoners than the anywhere in the world..!

[@paddymaguire1703]

@@trulywylde5726 Would you call Canada "modern"? England? Germany? Pick your country Jessica and do some research. In case you didn't know yet, you are living on a prison planet. The internet is crawling with information on this. This practice is quite common. In fact the prison strike took place in Canada as well, wake up...

[@trulywylde5726]

Paddy Maguire US has more than all of those combined! And btw we are supposed to be an intelligent Society and perhaps and example for other nations... Instead they are coping this horrible example! I see you like the prison system, I don't! I believe there's a better way to deal with poverty, sorry

[@paddymaguire1703]

@@trulywylde5726 I do not like the prison system but I find you very naive. KZbin has many documentaries on many countries and their prison systems. Don't look at them if you choose. www.prisonpolicy.org

[@joseaguerra247]

It’s been very profitable for a few but it has also crippled our society by building higher profile criminals with their “reform methodology” creating people full of resentment who come into a society hardly being able to adapt themselves making them premium candidates for repeat business!

[@Fafnd]

There is no reform it's all about punishment.

[@themysterycook7320]

Okay, I agree with all that you say, but the criminal & terroristic u.s prison system makes a bilionaire shareholder richer doesn't it? And that's all that matters in the u.s, that some corrupt P.O.S like Trump who INHERITED incredible wealth & has NEVER done a decent honest days work in his/her life gets even richer. & Gets a tax cut on the torture that is the u.s prison system to boot!! & The u.s STILL lectures the world on human rights & good governance & all that jingoistic utter DRIVEL;!!

[@babycakes2077]

Incredible reporting, guys!

[@keithdurant4570]

They should change the sentencing system if they want to do this. The judge should be made to say in open court with international reporters in attendance. "You have been found guilty of having a marijuana cigarette. I sentence you to 5 years slavery!"

[@bcoopkid]

Starts around 9:47 😉

[@abshir9677]

Who needs slave when you can have prisoners do the work for nearly free. If they refuse they resort to mental torture via solitary confinement aka "the hole".

[@maxcrypto774]

Vulture capitalism will eventually eat itself. It is the AI algo prediction, there is no infinite supply or market only equilibrium between the two.

[@mahlina1220]

Max Crypto Yes, it literally retards any kind of growth and systemic use of knowledge for integrity and the betterment of mankind as a whole. *Republicans savaging our planet.

[@alexvikendi1768]

That's horrible.

[@MrDXRamirez]

The State makes it easier to agree with the idea of capitalism as the premier socializing force for humanity in contrast to a slave economy in the State. Americans are complicit by choosing people who degrade the State into a slave state. Sold a bill of goods and promises which amount to lies they remain pacified. The rulers in the State have learned that people will strive toward capitalism because it is easier and nearer to achieve than the dream state of the future of socialism. Politicians figured out people settle for less. So--you can get characters who seduce your vote and do nothing for you using your money, to boot. Everybody settles, thinking that their ideals will not come to fruition for them in life. Disappointed society did not live up to their expectations they settle into a lesser form of exploitation in private industry offering less wages on average and no career development to avoid falling into a worse form of exploitation at the hands of the State. The more punitive the State becomes and commercialized playing the role of a merchant, therefore, the public is dealing with in the emergence of a hybrid merchant slave state, a colonial state based on slave labor. Devils Island replicated in Gitmo (guantanamo) and down the chain of command to the prison system and its wardens are president, governor, magistrate or local sheriff. Direct exploitation of unpaid labor. Exactly the way a vassal worked the land of the Lord under feudalism and the lord takes the product of the land the vessel produced is the way Chain Gangs and inmates work the state lands and the State takes the product of labor. Done in the name of the tax payer and look upon by tax payers as restitution for their crimes. Chances of white and black becoming slave labor is palpable, can happen. It only takes a constitutional convention to amend the 13th amendment and change the wording from prisoner to civilians to legalize slavery in the US, and 33 states currently GOP states is enough to convene and amend the 13th by one political party, GOP or Democrats. Not easily done but a lot closer than they ever were to achieve their aims. That all this happens not in the private sector but in the public sector points the finger at the American public for letting it happen! The Left, Right or Center can't pin slavery in the US on the multi-national corporations. In my view you could if Jeff Bezos, as an example, offered all his employees permanent employment and housing to work for Amazon.The laws against slavery are in place since the end of the Civil War until one party established a one party state and America begins to look like South Africa of the 1940's. If it happens here it is because the People did nothing to oppose what I see is a Pro-Slavery Rebellion of the Right.

[@mahlina1220]

DXR There’s definitely a lack of critical thinking. I blame religion, also.

[@kenny8351]

This is one f' ed up corporatocracy we live.

[@Sanzzzzzzzzz]

Prisoner labour is make sense if u wanna make u country rich..

[@kylegoldston]

6:15 it's not really THAT hard to get into any prison in America however getting out can be tricky.

[@raeboudreau1174]

Want to see some stuff about prison labour in CANADA why do I only ever see American stuff about this

[@AlexanderKnapikLevert]

Prison system is one of the most corrupt in the world, the judicial system reinforces it, Canada's is very terrible as well.

[@opheliabawles9646]

Private prisons are where the welfare of the shareholders are a lot more important than the welfare of prisoners. Corporate welfare l guess. Tax dollars are going from the poor to the rich, so it's socialism for the rich, again.

[@screwthenet]

When my father was young, and used to travel with his father whom wasa famous doctor, even they had to be careful going into the mountains and regions away from "civilization". You dont just go traipsing about without concept of how the world is. *smfh *

[@badnews7593]

Praise Jesus for you the Bible Belt.

[@bulldogs7177]

A majority of the prison population was raised by single mothers. Doing a fantastic job ladies, really top notch👌🏻

[@marthacmd]

amy has a orange face and the other woman face is red- wtf

[@miapdx503]

You're an ass, wtf is up with that...😒

[@mahlina1220]

Typical obnoxious moronic comment. Can’t have anything logical to say so you shoot the messenger because you lack reasoning ability. So Republican!! Isn’t that great?

[@mahlina1220]

miapdx He/she/it’s a typical Fox and Friends troll.

[@miapdx503]

@@mahlina1220 Ugh, thanks.

[@kevinlocke4515]

So safe tourism in the middle east means wandering off course and winding up in an Iranian prison... What a clown I wish he was still there.

[@MorganJServices]

This video's premise is an asinine waste of time and energy. Inmates owe a debt to society. They are living free on the taxpayers dime. They work to gain experience so they can become productive members of society. They NEED to give back to the community at large. Geez. I can't stand this coddling mentality amongst adults.

[@Fafnd]

I hope both of you are sent to these for profit prisons and left to rot.

[@Ronni3no2]

> _"Inmates owe a debt to society."_ Just like the slaves owed a debt to their masters, who provided them with clothes, food and shelter since birth.

[@miapdx503]

@Marten Dekker Research has shown that the American prison model is cruel, evil and ineffective. But it serves the wealthy. As it causes more damage to society, *because it doesn't work.* It doesn't rehabilitate, it doesn't deter, and it doesn't do anyone any good. Except the wealthy. The people who profit off the misery of others. You know, the people trump works for.

[@thomasmccullough7233]

Lisa JW Let's hope your ass never goes to prison. People like yourself make me sick.

[@thomasmccullough7233]

Fafnd Exactly!!