Corporate America must take a stand

Denied standard worker protections, incarcerated people are the most vulnerable and exploited workers in the United States. Still, many corporations rely on prison labor in a variety of ways. Some supply raw materials to prison factories, others purchase produce and livestock from prison farms, and still others directly employ incarcerated workers both inside and outside of prisons.

We begin our challenge of the corporate use of prison labor with the food industry, in which it is perhaps most akin to chattel slavery.

Many incarcerated workers are laboring on prison farms situated on former antebellum plantations. They harvest crops, raise livestock, process food, and staff storefronts for some of the nation’s most popular brands. They often work in dangerous conditions — with many suffering injury or worse — and if paid at all, their wages are garnished.

This is all thanks to the exception in the 13th Amendment that allows slavery to be imposed as criminal punishment. It’s time that corporate America takes a stand to end it.

We’re calling on all corporations to stop their use of prison labor, institute policies to prohibit prison labor in their supply chains, and endorse the Abolition Amendment. Tell your favorite brands to get on board!

Corporate endorsers

The following corporations have stopped their use of prison labor, protected their supply chains from prison labor, and endorsed the Abolition Amendment.

“We are not anti-work. We would gladly hire incarcerated workers under equal and ethical labor conditions. Until the Abolition Amendment is passed and basic labor protections are extended to incarcerated workers, this is impossible.”

Who Still uses prison labor?

Hundreds of corporations still use and benefit from prison labor, and they do so in a multitude of ways. Some corporations sell raw materials to prisons that are then used to manufacture products like license plates. Others purchase produce and livestock from prison farms that then find their way into our grocery stores. Finally, others directly employ incarcerated workers in their factories, call centers, fast food joints, and more.

But thanks to advocacy, corporations are finally starting to recognize the harm in using prison labor under today’s conditions. Some have stopped its direct use and instituted policies that prohibit its use by their suppliers, including McDonald’s, Costco, and Whole Foods.

However, too many continue to refuse to end their reliance on prison labor. A recent investigation revealed the remarkable prevalence of prison labor in just the food industry. Here are some of the food brands that still use prison labor or allow it in their supply chains:

“Alabama would take 60 percent of my check, because I was the property of the state of Alabama. Burger King was aware that we were incarcerated, and they knew much of that money would never reach us.”

— Britt

The supply chain problem

When one corporation uses or relies on prison labor, all those down their supply chain profit from this exploitation. For example, if a farm uses prison labor to grow and harvest wheat, then the cereal produced by the cereal producer that sources their wheat from that farm.

Here’s just one pathway that food grown by incarcerated people may take from prison farms to your table — bringing new perspective on the concept of “farm to table”.