The 13th amendment of the US constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in 1865. It included an exception for “a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted” This exception clause has been used to exploit prisoners in the US as workers. Five states – Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi and Texas – force prisoners to work without pay. In November voters will decide whether to remove exception clauses from their state constitutions in Alabama, Louisiana, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont.Read Long Article
