EP #32 - 13th Amendment; Prison Slavery And Other Listener Questions

Published: Oct. 2, 2020, 9 a.m.

In addition to Bobby talking about forced labor behind bars...he also addresses the distress or uneasiness of mind caused by the fear of the institutional hammer coming down on his head at any moment. As Bobby says, "living the LOP life". The guys also answer more viewer questions. 

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If you thought slavery was abolished with the 13th Amendment you'd be wrong! Slavery is alive and well in America, just ask any prisoner. 

\n"ROOTS OF FORCED LABOR\n

Forced labor in prisons has its roots in the post-Civil War Reconstruction period, when Southern planters faced the need to pay the labor force that had long worked for free under brutal conditions to produce the economic capital of the South.

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Though the 13th Amendment abolished \u201cinvoluntary servitude,\u201d it excused forcible labor as punishment for those convicted of crimes. As a result, Southern states codified punitive laws, known as the Black Codes, to arbitrarily criminalize the activity of their former slaves.

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Loitering and congregating after dark, among other innocuous activities, suddenly became criminal. Arrest and conviction bound these alleged criminals to terms of incarceration, often sentenced to unpaid labor for wealthy plantation owners."

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You can read more about Bobby and prison reform on our website:  notesfromthepen.com

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