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2016 U.S. prison strike is a prison work stoppage that began on September 9, 2016, the 45th anniversary of the Attica uprising.[1] The strike occurred in 24 states, and over 24,000 prisoners partook in the strike.[2]The involvement of 24,000 prisoners makes this strike the largest ever recorded in the U.S. Within a week, inmates from approximately 20 prisons participated, but information leakage on the number of protests was tight.[1] Organizations involved in coordinating the strike include the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee[3] and the Free Alabama Movement. The causes behind the prison strike included the unfair prison labor, the low salary, and unsatisfying living conditions.[4] The main goal of the strike was to put an end to the prison slavery in which the inmates are subjected. [5] According to the 13th Amendment in The Constitution of the United States of America, slavery can be used to penalize the breaching of the law.[6]

Despite the large amount of protests of the inmates, the strike received a small amount of media coverage. [1]

Organizations Involved

The Free Alabama Movement and the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee actively participated in the prison strike. The strike originated in Alabama within a band of prisoners at Holman prison. [4]Known as the Free Alabama Movement, this group requested for adequately paid labor. [7] The group took advantage of their role of laboring for free and used it against the prison system to protest. The main goal of the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee is to protest the inhumane living conditions inmates endure. [3] The Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee is associated with the Industrial Workers of the World.[8] Many members of the Industrial Workers of the world are also inmates in prison.[8] Both organizations were part of the prison strike.[8] The Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee was formed to address injustices in the prison system.[9] On July 31, 2014 the organization's Statement of Purpose was created in order to organize and unite prisoners.[9] There are five components to the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee's Statement of Purpose.[9] The five components lay out the goals of the organization, convey the importance of supporting fellow prisoners, and vocalize the needs of inmates.[9] Cellular devices were used as a communication force and helped to organize the strikes in the groups.[5]

Inmates

Inmates in 40 to 50 prisons planned to participate in the strike and over 24,000 inmates were involved.[1] Inmates residing in Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Oregon, and Georgia participated. Prisoners in Illinois, Virginia, North Carolina, and Washington also contributed to the strike.[1] Protests in South Carolina, Michigan, and Florida occurred as well. [2]The prison strike united through cell phone communication which was used in a concealed manner. [2] Supporters from outside sources aided in the organizing. [1] The protesting included the inmates refusing to do labor and pushing the prisons into a state of lockdown.[7] Orders from a Florida prison were ignored on September 12, 2016 and caused a temporary lockdown. [7] In Michigan, the inmates who worked in the kitchen did not appear at their work posts. Approximately 400 prisoners ignored their tasks and marched. That institution eventually attained a lockdown status after the facility received an impairment. [7] Inmates in South Carolina and Alabama voiced their concerns and requested for an end to unfair prison labor, low wages, and poor living conditions. [7]

Causes

The causes of the prison strike include unfair prison labor, a low salary, and unsatisfying living conditions.[4] Different prison inmates have diverse reasons, but those three causes are the main issues. [4] Out of the estimated 2 million inmates across the United States, the inmates in federal prisons receive a salary of $1.25. [10][unreliable source?] In Tennessee, a hire of 50 cents an hour can be earned, and in private institutions, a pay of 17 cents can be received. [10] The labor of the inmates include mainly maintaining the prison. Prisoners duties involve indoor cleaning, paperwork, cooking, and outdoor maintenance. [4] Inmates are not entitled to any insurance, and prisoners can work for free. [4] The 13th Amendment allows free labor. The prisoners live in isolation and want an improved health care system. [2] The term prison slavery has been coined to describe the life in prisons. [5]

The inmates involved in the strike feel the current prison system is dysfunctional.[11] In prisons in South Carolina, the skills the inmates learn from their labor replaces their payment in currency.[11] One inmate in a South Carolina prison thinks the 13th Amendment in the Constitution is the reason for the dehumanization of the prisoners.[11] The 13th Amendment is also the main reason why approximately 200 prisoners in a South Carolina prison joined the strike.[11]

In California prisons, racial discrimination is found in the form of prison jumpsuits.[11] The color of a prisoner’s jumpsuit can cause a certain sentence to be executed in the court of law.[11] Approximately 150 inmates in a California prison joined in the strike by refusing to eat in order to change that regulation.[11] Other reasons for the strike were mainly concentrated on the unsatisfactory living conditions.[11]

In prisons in Michigan, inmates receive low wages from 75 cents to $3.73 daily.[11] The low salary caused the inmates to join the strike by participating in a work stoppage.[11] Approximately 40 prisoners were involved.[11]

13th Amendment

-state it (constitution)

-prison slavery

The thirteenth amendment was adopted by the U.S. Constitution after the U.S. Civil War in 1865. The thirteenth amendment ended involuntary servitude and slavery in the United States.[12] The exception to the amendment lies between the punishment of an individual that has been convicted of a crime wherein the judicial system convicts that individual with a certain sentence. Prisons across the United States are interpreting the thirteenth amendment to only employ the section that grants an exception to the law. Prison systems continue to enforce mandatory work stations among prisoners that fail to provide any financial advantages. Federal and state prisons are estimated to earn a gross income of about two billion dollars per year. Incarcerated men and women demand to earn fair wages for their respective work. The strike orders for the exception clause to be repealed from the thirteenth amendment because of its exploitation.

Media Coverage??

-Media's response to prison strike

-Which news station (if any) covered the strike (research more)

-Why wasn't there a lot of media coverage?

Outline

Organizations involved

-IWOC (complete)

-Free Alabama Movement(complete)

Inmates

-Different states that participated(complete)

-Repeat stat on inmates involved(complete)

-used cell phones to communicate(complete)

Causes

-stats on prison labor(complete)

-types of prison labor(complete)

-few cents as hour as pay(complete)

-better living conditions(complete)

-education and rehab?? (health system complete)

-prison slavery(complete)

13th Amendment

-state it (constitution)

-prison slavery

Media Coverage??

-Media's response to prison strike

-Which news station (if any) covered the strike (research more)

-Why wasn't there a lot of media coverage?

1.      Pelaez, Vicky. “The Prison Industry in the United States: Big Business or a New Form of Slavery?.” Global Research, 2005-2017, http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-prison-industry-in-the-united-states-big-business-or-a-new-form-of-slavery/8289. Accessed 17 Feb. 2017. 

2.      Speri, Alice. “Prisoners In Multiple States Call Strikes To Protest Forced Labor.” The Intercept, 4 April 2016, https://theintercept.com/2016/04/04/prisoners-in-multiple-states-call-for-strikes-to-protest-forced-labor/. Accessed 17 Feb. 2017. 

3.      Schwartzapfel, Beth. “Why America’s Incarcerated Have Launched the Largest Prison Strike in Recent History.” Alternet, 28 Sept. 2016, http://www.alternet.org/human-rights/why-americas-incarcerated-have-launched-largest-prison-strike-recent-history. Accessed 17 Feb. 2017. 

4.      Vongkiatkajorn, Kanyakrit. “Why Prisoners Across the Country Have Gone on Strike.” Mother Jones, 19 Sept. 2016, http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2016/09/prison-strike-inmate-labor-work. Accessed 17 Feb. 2017. 

5.      Schwartzapfel, Beth. “A Primer on the Nationwide Prisoners’ Strike.” The Marshall Project, 27 Sept. 2016, https://www.themarshallproject.org/2016/09/27/a-primer-on-the-nationwide-prisoners-strike#.xLDbPKeeo. Accessed 17 Feb. 2017. 

6.      Baltzell, George W. “The Constitution of the United States.” 17 Feb. 2017, http://constitutionus.com/. Accessed 17 Feb. 2017.

  1. ^ a b c d e f Speri, Alice (September 16, 2016). "The Largest Prison Strike in U.S. History Enters Its Second Week". The Intercept. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d Schwartzapfel, Beth (September 28, 2016). "Why America's Incarcerated Have Launched the Largest Prison Strike in Recent History". Alternet. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Kim, E. Tammy (3 October 2016). "A National Strike Against "Prison Slavery"". The New Yorker. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Schwartzapfel, Beth (September 27, 2016). "A Primer on the Nationwide Prisoners' Strike". The Marshall Project. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c Speri, Alice (April 2, 2016). "Prisoners in Multiple States Call For Strikes To Protest Forced Labor". The Intercept. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  6. ^ Baltzell, George W. (February 17, 2017). "The Constitution of the United States". Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d e Vongkiatkajorn, Kanyakrit (September 19, 2016). "Why Prisoners Across the Country Have Gone on Strike". Mother Jones. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  8. ^ a b c "Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee (IWOC)". 2016 Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair. 9 September 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  9. ^ a b c d "About Us". IWW Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  10. ^ a b Pelaez, Vicky (2005–2017). "The Prison Industry in the United States: Big Business or a New Form of Slavery?". Global Research. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Blau, Max (31 October 2016). "Why US inmates launched a nationwide strike". CNN. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  12. ^ US Const. amend. XIII, sec 1
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