In the jails of the USA, the prisoners are living in pathetic conditions, and the prisoners who are undocumented are being forced into labour, through which, the jail earns hefty amounts, but compensates the prisoners with negligible amounts. It has been revealed in a human rights investigation that American jails have turned into production companies, and every year, 11 billion dollars or 91 thousand crore rupees are being earned by making the prisoners work.
Nevertheless, the prisoners receive the wages for only 1 hour of work. Their minimum annual wage has been decided as 450 dollars, which is next to nothing as compared to the minimum wage of the world outside. There are 20 thousand prisoners incarcerated in the American jails who are undocumented. As per jail administrations, they do not have ample funds to pay the prisoners, but as per the investigation, it was found out that they persecute the prisoners despite earning billions of dollars.
Many a times, the prisoners do not even have the money to buy a soap or make a phone call in jail. The prisons in the USA are run by private companies, and the higher the number of prisoners in these jails, the higher the grants received from the government. 80% of the work in the jails are made to be done by the prisoners, which includes cleaning, repair work, washing clothes, etc. Apart from this, other companies too, give contracts to the jails for manufacturing tables, chairs, and other things, which are again made by the jail inmates.
Those who refuse to work are locked alone in a cell, and many a times, are not even allowed to meet their visiting family members.
The prisoners who are incarcerated because of illegally entering the USA by crossing the borders are bailed out within a year, but many a times, the prisoners are unable to afford a lawyer, due to which they are not able to get out of prison. This year, out of the 60 thousand arrested Indians, 40 thousand were bailed out, but 20 thousand are still incarcerated.
