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Involuntary Servitude

Prisons have no incentive to pay inmates better—to the contrary. Unlike workers in the free market, who (theoretically, anyway) can weigh factors like pay, working conditions, and other benefits when deciding where to work, inmates do not have a choice between employers. If they need the money, or the experience, they must take or leave what the prison is offering.
Social Justice

'Modern Slavery': The Labor History Behind the New Nationwide Prison Strike

A look at the origins of the 2018 prison strike through a legacy of involuntary servitude.

By Emily Moon
A scene from an Irish wake, circa 1750.
Social Justice

No, the Irish Were Not Slaves Too

Historian Liam Hogan has spent the last six years debunking the Irish slave myth.

By David M. Perry
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Economics

From Our Prison to Your Dinner Table

At America's strangest workplace, laborers are making toys for kids, picking grapes for wineries, and farming tilapia for Whole Foods—all for $1.50 an hour.

By Graeme Wood