In dozens of prisons across the United States, inmates are going on strike as they launched a protest calling for a reform of the American prison system.
The strikes were launched on September 9th 2016, marking 45 years since the Attica prison uprising – a poignant yet historic event in the fight against black racism in the United States. Inmates protested against poor prison conditions, while also bringing to the forefront issues of racism that plague the justice system. Today a similar movement was launched.
As many as 24 states and 40 prison facilities have reportedly joined the strike.
“Slavery is alive and well in the prison system, but by the end of this year, it won’t be anymore,” said the Incarcerated Workers Organising Committee in a statement. “This is a call to end slavery in America.”
Of the 2.4 million people incarnated, approximately 900 000 are working for prisons, public entities as well as corporations. It is estimated that their output is valued in the billions, however inmates do not get paid or if they do, make no higher that $4.73. Some inmates receive credits for their labour, which can result in earlier parole hearings. However, inmates attest that such a system is not promising.
Working conditions are described to be abusive – a wife of an inmate shares that her husband works long hours and is not given sufficient breaks for food and water. Once when he refused to work he was locked up for 2 weeks, where he was given inadequate meals and denied a shower.
Kinetic Justice Amun, an inmate in an Alabama prison says “[Prison is] not about rehabilitation….It’s not about crime and punishment. It’s about money. What Alabama is doing is not about corrections. It’s about creating a market of people”.