Modern-Day Slavery: Exposing the Harsh Realities of Prison Labor in the South

In Louisiana's state penitentiary, primarily Black incarcerated workers face extreme heat and grueling conditions on a former slave plantation. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against the prison's hazardous practices, highlighting the ongoing use of prison labor in the U.S. The system faces increasing scrutiny amid rising temperatures and legal challenges.

Under the blazing summer sun in Louisiana's state penitentiary, Lamont Gross and other prisoners toil in long rows, picking vegetables by hand. Armed guards on horseback watch over them, and breaks are rare and brief. Gross described men collapsing and suffering heat strokes, conditions that a federal judge recently condemned.

Judge Brian Jackson labeled the prison's practices as 'deliberate indifference' toward the health of incarcerated workers, many of whom have serious medical issues. He issued a temporary restraining order demanding immediate changes to the prison's heat-related policies. Despite challenges from the corrections department, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the judge's decision.

Louisiana's Angola prison, America's largest maximum-security facility, spans 18,000 acres and has a long history of exploiting prison labor. The treatment of incarcerated workers, especially amid soaring temperatures, has ignited a class-action lawsuit aiming to halt these inhumane conditions. The situation underscores the broader issue of prison labor as modern-day slavery in the United States.

(With inputs from agencies.)