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The biggest harm from these prison labor businesses is not to the prisoners (who, in the article, say it's better than their alternative), but to the other dair
by qq66 9y ago
The biggest harm from these prison labor businesses is not to the prisoners (who, in the article, say it's better than their alternative), but to the other dairies out there who have to compete with businesses employing Thirteenth Amendment slave labor. As the article points out, non-prison dairies have a tough time staying in business, due in likely no small part to a taxpayer subsidized competitor who doesn't really have to pay their staff.
- coldcode 9y agoThe purchasers pay market rates. The prison makes the money, which I can see being wrong, but that doesn't change the fact that competitors are not being harmed. If the price was below market then you would have a point, but it isn't in this case.
- clort 9y agoSurely though, when there are more traders in the marketplace selling the same thing, the price will be lower due to competition? In cases like this the prison farm can always afford to sell at the lowest price since they don't have the same costs as others..
- mathattack 9y agoExactly - as the low cost producer, they can drive prices down. Everyone pays the same "market" rate. And they can bid up supply costs.
- ajnin 9y agoInteresting world we live in, where slave labour is considered a smaller issue than a company's lost profits.
- GhostVII 9y agoThe prisoners all said they liked working much more than they liked being in prison, so so wouldn't really call it "slave labour" And even if they didn't like it, how is forcing them to do some work any worse than forcing them to be in prison? In both cases you are forcing them to do something they don't want to do.
- nkrisc 9y agoCreate laws that criminalize trivial and victimless actions -> Sentence them to prison -> provide cheap labor as an alternative -> prisoners like cheap labor better than prison conditions -> achieve moral high ground? Nope.
- GhostVII 9y agoAside from the 'Create laws that criminalize trivial and victimless actions', I see nothing wrong with that, you are only making the prisoners happier during their time in prison. Prison is partially about punishment anyways, so really you are effectively reducing their sentence. Also I really doubt that the government is profiting off these prisoners, it costs a lot to keep someone in prison.
- nkrisc 9y agoIt's not the government that's profiting, it's the private prison companies that lobby the government to keep themselves in business and for a steady supply of prisoners from the enforcement of the aforementioned victimless crimes that land people in the prisons they own.
- GhostVII 9y agoThe prison in the article is run by the government
- Broken_Hippo 9y agoThere are lots of ways to make prisoners happier during their time in prison. Provide places that one can ensure one's own health and safety, including private cells. Make sure folks have enough underwear and toiletries. Provide actual medical and psychiatric care. Provide well-balanced meals. Heck, we could easily make sure masturbation isn't against the rules. We could extend that stuff by doing things like paying the prisoners minimum wage. The money could be used to pay child support, debts, help support a spouse, pay for nicer toiletries, and so on. Or just saved up so that the person can actually afford to get on their feet after prison.