Sangita Menon / KUT
Originally published on May 8, 2021 5:11 am
The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution bans slavery and involuntary servitude except as a punishment for a crime. Texas lawmakers are proposing
an amendment to the state constitution that would ban such forced labor for any reason including as punishment.
David Johnson, co-founder of the Coalition to Abolish Slavery – Texas, said he hopes a constitutional amendment would end the use of forced labor in the prison system.
Texas Correctional Industries, a for-profit operation within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, uses unpaid inmate labor to manufacturer things like shoes, soaps and license plates. According to the department s 2019 annual report, TCI made $73.8 million in sales across 33 facilities.
KUT
David Johnson, a co-founder of the Committee to Abolish Slavery - Texas, discusses the need for a constitutional amendment to abolish slavery, in front of the Texas African American History Memorial on Wednesday.
The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution bans slavery and involuntary servitude except as a punishment for a crime. Texas lawmakers are proposing
an amendment to the state constitution that would ban such forced labor for any reason including as punishment.
David Johnson, co-founder of the Coalition to Abolish Slavery – Texas, said he hopes a constitutional amendment would end the use of forced labor in the prison system.