I am observing that many prisons in the US are run privately by corporations for the sake of making a profit. The incarcerated people in such establishments are

I am observing that many prisons in the US are run privately by corporations for the sake of making a profit. The incarcerated people in such establishments are often given shorter sentences if they agree to perform manual labor for little to no pay. Even if the prisons are getting subsidies which make them profitable, I suspect the owners consider it to be an asset more than a liability.