“Made in Prison” Is the New “Made in China” | Liza Jessie Peterson | Big Think

TL;DR

Mass incarceration profits corporations through slave labor, perpetuating a human rights crisis.

Transcript

Why should people be concerned with the issue of mass incarceration? People should be concerned with the issue of mass incarceration because it is a human rights crisis that is happening right in front of our face, and it's being cloaked with crime and punishment. So “These people are bad people, they've committed a crime so we can ignore them, we ... Read More

Key Insights

• 💆 Mass incarceration dehumanizes individuals by treating them as disposable criminals.
• 👻 The 13th amendment loophole allows for the continuation of slave labor in prisons.
• 🏍️ Corporations profit immensely from inmate labor, perpetuating a cycle of exploitation.
• 💆 Historical parallels between slavery and modern mass incarceration reveal systemic injustices.
• 👨‍⚖️ Activism against mass incarceration mirrors past abolitionist movements for justice.
• ⛽ The prison industrial complex fuels capitalism through cheap labor of incarcerated individuals.
• 🗯️ Emphasizing human rights is crucial in addressing the systemic issues of mass incarceration.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why should people be concerned about mass incarceration?

People should be concerned as it devalues human lives, allows for exploitative labor practices, and perpetuates inequalities within the justice system.

Q: How do corporations profit from mass incarceration?

Corporations benefit by employing inmates at extremely low wages to produce goods and services, maintaining a cycle of profit through cheap labor.

Q: What parallels exist between modern mass incarceration and historical slavery?

Both systems exploit marginalized populations for economic gain, demonstrating a continuity in using disadvantaged individuals for profit.

Q: Can activism against mass incarceration lead to tangible change?

Yes, historical examples of abolitionists fighting against slavery demonstrate that societal awareness and activism can drive change in unjust systems.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Mass incarceration devalues human beings, subjecting them to slave labor due to the 13th amendment.

• Corporations profit from inmate labor, producing everyday goods and services at exploitative wages.

• The history of slavery in America intertwines with modern mass incarceration, creating a capitalist incentive for hyper-criminalization.