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Before you jump on this source of free labor maybe a few other things to consider.
The cost of the "free labor". While 5 bucks on the books may sound cheap, what's the real cost.Administration of this thing, cost of security,feeding and housing them, etc etc. With a real worker the only outlay is what you pay him. With these guys , sure they sound cheap, but the real cost is being sucked up by
the state. What si the real return. The state feeds, houses and clothes him and must manage them and provide security. Is that really cheaper than an hourly worker adding in the security the employer will need to prevent any inmate run scams. Sounds like the taxpayer is getting screwed. If they used the money to pay all costs of maintaining the prisoners to make jails pay for themselves I think we would quickly see how they can't even pay for themselves and its just a corporate handout.
Secondly and more importantly, doesn't anyone remember our history? Freemen, you, me etc are now going to have to compete with slave labor? Wars have started for this. The only possible result is that us free people will have to accept the same working conditions as a slave or face unemployment. To accept otherwise would be tantamount to the south's claim in the Civil war that slavery in a few states was acceptable. Slave labor is not acceptable and we fought it before not for the slave's benefit, but for our own. What freeman would want or could compete with slaves? Inmates, mexicans, etc nothing good can come from it. Jobs that nobody wants? Sorry, what you mean are jobs that noone wants for the slave wages you are paying. Start paying the wage the market demands and you won't have any problem.
If it has to be done, then limit their employment ro industries where the cost of labor makes up more than 25% of the cost of the final product. Those types of industries have already been surrendered to the foreign countries so if they take any jobs away from anyone it will be from foreigners outside the US. It makes no sense to give them jobs that Free americans would take if given the chance. Those deals with corporations for answering phones etc are just a corporate handout at the expense of the taxpayers. Somebody is getting rich off it. Do you really think monstro Corp gives a dam* about helping convicts when they don't even give a hoot about you? How about making the prisoners do the jobs of migrants, like spending 12 hours a day picking asparagus till your hands bleed for two bucks a bushel? At least that has some sort of karmic justice to it. IMHO
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