Citing labor shortages, Alabama prisons are accused of “leasing” inmates to McDonald’s and other fast-food chains —and taking a cut of their wages.
  • Nougat@fedia.io
    0·
    2 months ago

    Holy fucking shit if McDonald’s doesn’t terminate all the involved owners’ franchise agreements, they’re fucking complicit.

    • yngmnwntr@lemmy.ml
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      2 months ago

      Pretty sure Oregon did something similar but like…what are these people going to do without commissary? Making it not involuntary doesn’t really mean prisoners aren’t forced to do it so they can have things like shower sandals so they don’t get trench foot. Every con is still choosing to work for a pittance because they need it to survive in prison. But it’s OK we no longer legally allow slavery.

  • Zahille7@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Of fucking course it’s Alabama. I’m staying in this state for a week right now and I gotta tell you, the south fucking SUCKS.

    I just found out about the shooting yesterday. I’m going to Birmingham in just a couple days. Now I find out about this fascist bullshit?

    • wafflez@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Unfortunately there’s only one good thing about Alabama and this definitely isn’t it

      • Aaron@lemmy.nz
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        2 months ago

        I’m happy to report that voting from overseas is remarkably easy if you’re registered in Alabama. A friend of mine had the easiest time. Meanwhile, I am jumping through hoops for Texas to let me vote.

        A reminder to please vote.

  • Mango@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    When is it going to be okay to be violent towards the evil people without being sanctioned by my local evil organization?

  • Mango@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Literally everything about this is evil. Not only is it making a slave of someone who is more likely to be falsely convicted at this point (as if it’s acceptable truly convicted), but they’re also fucking up the job market by keeping a ready stock of “other fish in the sea who will deal with it” despite their lack of “will” in the scenario. Even ignoring all that, do you want a murderer or rapist to have anything to do with preparing your food? Jesus fucking antichrist!

  • tee9000@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Was going to read the article and explain why this is sensationalized but god damn they take 40% of their earnings at 7.25/hr.

    Nobody works for 7.25. They should be required to pay them a competitive rate and nobody should be allowed to take a cut. It should be going towards their own betterment. You cant justify 40% wage cost for transportation to the job.

    And if they blow off work for illegitimate reasons then there should never be any kind of punishment other than potential disqualification from further employment there like a normal person.

    This is 100% reason enough to raise rhe minimum wage by itself. The prison system is really scary…

    • bobs_monkey@lemm.ee
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      2 months ago

      They should be required to pay them a competitive rate

      If the system was properly functional without these loopholes, they’d be forced to raise their rates to attract workers. But since they have a captive workforce, they’re able to not worry about it

      You cant justify 40% wage cost for transportation to the job.

      Oh it’s better than that: not only do they take a 40% cut of their wages, they charge fees on top of that 40% for transport and washing uniforms.

      • tee9000@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Not sure about the first item but yeah i read it wrong… they pay fees on top of 40%. Prison reform needs to be a focal political discourse right behind climate change…

  • roofuskit@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Convict leasing was the souths replacement for slavery. You could arrest a black person for anything after the civil war (that’s changed right?), including for not having a job or a home. So instead of buying slaves the state created them from freed people by throwing them into prison and then leasing them back to the former slaveholders. It didn’t fall out of fashion until the civil rights era. Guess the anti-civil rights era is bringing it back.