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In the United States prisoners are required to participate in "work duties," which are defined as essential functions of the prison. For example you can be made
by mike_d 5y ago
In the United States prisoners are required to participate in "work duties," which are defined as essential functions of the prison. For example you can be made to wash laundry because you are using bed sheets and clothing.
You cannot be forced into doing external work where the benefit of your labor falls to a private entity. Of course you can choose to do so and the primary benefit is not the wages (which are unfairly low in my opinion) but the "day for day" that reduces your sentence.
- simonh 5y agoThe wages are paltry yes, but as I understand it US prisons charge absurdly high rates for basic services such as phone calls and even individual emails, so there's a very coercive incentive on prisoners to work anyway.
- ncmncm 5y agoThat is just so far from true it is hard to understand why you believe it. There are states that have such rules, and others (particularly in the South) that explicitly do not enforce any such rule. Often a rule exists but is meaningless; if they want to be able to have visitors, or to get outside to exercise, they are obliged to engage with outside labor.