Prisoners nationwide go on strike to protest 'modern-day slavery'

Dalvin Brown | USA TODAY

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Prison inmates nationwide, seeking to put pressure on the country's penal system, began a two-week strike on Tuesday.

The strike was timed to begin on the anniversary of the killing of jailed African American activist George Jackson. He was killed by a guard in 1971 after taking guards and two inmates hostage in a bid to escape from San Quentin State Prison in California.

The final day of the strike — Sept. 9 — also carries symbolism. That's the day in 1971 that the Attica Prison riots began in New York, eventually leaving more than 40 people dead when police stormed in to re-take the facility.

Prisoners leading the protests say the strike is aimed at ending what they call "modern-day slavery." Inmates complain they are paid pennies on the dollar per hour for labor.

This is made legal by an exemption in the 13th Amendment which allows involuntary servitude for those who convicted of crimes in the United States.

The event is spearheaded by Jailhouse Lawyers Speak, a network of imprisoned prisoner rights advocates based out of Lee Correctional Institution in South Carolina and supported by the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee (IWOC), a prisoner-led trade group.

Inmates plan to abstain from reporting to their assigned jobs, halt commissary spending, hold peaceful sit-in protests and refuse to eat during the strike.

“Prisoner participation depends on their location and privilege status,” said Amani Sawari, a prison reform activist and spokesperson for the strike. “If inmates are working they can suffocate the prison industrial complex by reducing their spending. In some detention facilities, prisoners may not be working so they might do a sit-in. It all depends.”

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The call for action comes as a response to a prison riot that took place in Lee Correctional Institution in South Carolina in April of this year, resulting in the death of seven inmates and injuring of over a dozen others. Inmates posted videos on social media showing the aftermath at the budget-strapped prison.

“Initially, a strike was planned for 2019, but the Lee prisoners wanted a now-response. We want to make sure that things like this don't happen in the future,” said Sawari.

A prison official at the Lee county jail said that officials are aware of the planned strike.

"We are currently monitoring this situation for any activity within the prisons," prisons spokesman Dexter Lee said in a statement. "The agency will take the necessary actions to ensure the prisons are safe to operate."

The prisoners released a list of 10 demands on the IWOC website that include, in part, the immediate improvement of prison policies, an increase in prisoner wages and rescinding laws that prevent imprisoned persons from having a chance at parole. The inmates also call for more rehabilitation services and voting rights.

Prisons in at least 17 states are expected to participate in the protests, according to Sawari, with a majority of them located in the South and West Coast.

On Aug. 21, U.S. cities participating will include Seattle; Portland, Oregon; Sacramento, California; San Jose, California; Corona, California; Los Angeles; Phoenix; Omaha, Nebraska; San Antonio, Texas; Asheville, North Carolina; Black Mountain, North Carolina; Atlanta; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Des Moines, Iowa; Chicago; Columbus, Ohio; Minneapolis; Philadelphia; Boston; and Brooklyn, New York.

Experts say there is a chance the protest may drive change in some detention centers.

"If the strike is widespread enough, it could be effective," said Lea Johnson, professor of law at the University of Florida's Levin College of Law. "These circumstances like poor labor conditions, poor prison conditions, unpaid labor, and lack of access to mental health treatment exist seemingly behind closed doors. By going on a national strike, you pull back the curtain and it can force legislators to act."

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