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[-] thezeesystem@lemmy.world 62 points 10 months ago

Isn't jail just slavery according to the 13th amendment? Iirc at least.

[-] erev@lemmy.world 54 points 10 months ago

The prison complex doesn't want you to call it that, but yes. The 13th amendment makes a specific exception for slavery if the person is imprisoned. That's why prisoners "work" for way below minimum wage in a variety of jobs that they probably didn't choose. Not to mention that the majority of prisoners are people of color...

[-] Kase@lemmy.world 15 points 10 months ago

I was curious how many people in prison are forced to work. If this source is correct, it's about 2/3. But the conditions of that work are apparently worse than I'd thought. Here's the original report (posted last year) and an article with a summary. Correction is welcome if this is inaccurate ◉⁠‿⁠◉

[-] jol@discuss.tchncs.de -1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Doesn't matter... Had sex? 🥹

[-] Kase@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

Sorry, what?

[-] Addition@sh.itjust.works 8 points 10 months ago

Only if they force you to work.

[-] andthenthreemore@startrek.website 21 points 10 months ago

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

(emphasis mine)

[-] Addition@sh.itjust.works 11 points 10 months ago

That is correct. Not sure if you were trying to dispute my comment but to clarify, the remark I was making is that slavery =/= imprisonment on its own. Slavery = imprisonment + work.

[-] ynthrepic@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

It is torture on its own, which might be the more critical point. The extent varies, but spending time in most of the world's prisons still break your mental health in ways that will only make reintegration back into society harder in the end.

We almost all know this already, which is the tragic part.

[-] huginn@feddit.it 1 points 10 months ago

spending time in most of the world's prisons still break your mental health in ways that will only make reintegration back into society harder in the end.

True only in specific cases: mostly your statement is bullshit.

There are far, far too many innocent people in prison: far too many who never deserve to be there. Many who fit the description of harder to reintegrate after the experience.

But prison absolutely can be the right thing for some. There are criminals who will not reintegrate without reform, and the prison system serves that purpose in more enlightened countries. Look at recidivism rates outside of the US to see how some people can reform with time away from society.

We need prisons. I expect 90% of people in prison are worse off from the experience but that 10% is important to society.

[-] Kase@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

Could you clarify for me - are you agreeing that prison time in most cases is harmful? Or that it's only bad in specific cases? Or maybe, are you saying that most prisons are good, but only for ~10% of the people who spend time in them? Please correct me if I'm way off lol

[-] huginn@feddit.it 4 points 10 months ago

Prisons are a nuanced topic that cannot be boiled down to categorical statements, but I'll do my best here to clarify.

You have 2 different cases for prisons: prisons as a concept and prisons in reality.

Conceptually prisons serve 2 important roles: separation and rehabilitation. Both roles are important for the continued functioning of society. You cannot have a functioning society with no separation of criminals from the population. Similarly without rehabilitation the separation needs to be permanent. In some cases there is no rehabilitating someone, so life sentences exist.

In reality: only a very small subset of prisons match the conceptual purpose because there is still a strong group of voters who think a prison should be a punishment.

To consider a specific case, let's take the infamous US prison system. In the United States rehabilitation is the exception, not the norm. Beyond that the carceral system has perverse incentives to perform that role of societal separation on the maximum number of humans possible without concern for innocence. It's not an accountable system and it is not democratic.

Even with those perverse incentives: you still have prisoners in prison who would need to be there even in the most perfect system. Plenty of people in prison need to be there. The system fails to rehabilitate them and only serves to separate them from society, but that role of separation is an important one.

I'd argue that the US prison system is overwhelmingly negative for the society but it still performs a core societal role. Despite that: I personally know excons who have had dramatic changes from time served and are better people for the experience. Some percentage of the population benefits.

I don't buy into anarchist utopian handwaving that states that prisons aren't necessary: people suck and would suck regardless of governmental style.

Does that help clarify?

[-] Kase@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

That did help, thank you!

[-] dingus@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago

I'm not at all excusing it, but don't prisoners technically get paid for their work? It's just some horrifically pathetic wage like $0.50/hr or something like that.

[-] themoken@startrek.website 22 points 10 months ago

Earning a pittance doesn't mean they're not slaves. They're slaves because they can't quit. Prisoners have basically zero agency in their lives.

[-] AnxiousOtter@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

Slavery doesn't have anything to do with compensation. Slavery is about the absence of choice.

[-] Whippygoatcream@reddthat.com 2 points 10 months ago

You are not wrong

[-] anzo@programming.dev 1 points 10 months ago

Worker's rights, unions, and the choice to quit...

[-] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 1 points 10 months ago

Well in the US it is I guess

[-] Lemmyvisitor@lemmy.dbzer0.com -1 points 10 months ago
[-] JimVanDeventer@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago
[-] Lemmyvisitor@lemmy.dbzer0.com -1 points 10 months ago

what do you want to happen to people who commit crimes then

[-] GoosLife@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)
[-] AnxiousOtter@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

Not... Slavery? Nobody said prisoners need to be used as slave labour. The removal of freedom is sufficient punishment.

[-] KpntAutismus@lemmy.world 17 points 10 months ago

this is actually my plan (minus the sex 3 times a day of course) for later in my life, ideally without the going to prison part.

[-] WoahWoah@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Your "plan" is to not live with your parents, read books, and workout? Feel free to get started, boss.

[-] KpntAutismus@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

my plan ist to live a happy and healthy life. living with my parents and going to work hinders me from doing exactly that. i might have the opprtunity to not have to work, so i will gladly do that.

feel free to continue living your hateful life. but i won't. i want to change.

[-] WoahWoah@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago

Hateful life? I was encouraging you to start living a happy and healthful life instead of calling it a "plan." Relax. That might help you on that whole "happy" part.

[-] KpntAutismus@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

then i must have read it wrong, sorry. people are generally not taking someone else being optimistic very well, so i assumed you were attacking me for it.

[-] WoahWoah@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago

No problem. I was basically just saying "hey you can do most of those things right now, go for it."

[-] Siegfried@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)
[-] Aux@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago

It's funny and all, but you have to work in a real prison. Just like you do in the office. The difference is that by the end of the day you leave the office and enjoy your hard earned money. But when you're working in prison, you are still in prison by the end of the day. And you don't get money, because fuck you, that's why.

this post was submitted on 30 Dec 2023
881 points (95.6% liked)

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