Nationwide Prison Strikes

This month, prisoners across the country have gone on strike to protest substandard wages and conditions. They hope to draw attention to the nature of the prison labor industry and how inmates are forced to work for wages that can be as low as a few cents an hour--if they are even paid at all. Mother Jones provides details of some of the specific protests in different states and Wired documents how prisoners were able to coordinate the strike, despite the limited communication with others that they are allowed.

The strike began on September 9 to coincide with the 45th anniversary of the Attica prison riot. Recently, The New Yorker published an extensive look at the history of the Attica uprising that is well worth the read.

#Prison #Strike