Why the nationwide strike against 'modern-day slavery' may not reach IL. And why it's already hereMaya Dukmasova : Chicago Reader

ARTICLE: Why the nationwide strike against 'modern-day slavery' may not reach IL. And why it's already here
Maya Dukmasova : Chicago Reader

On August 21, incarcerated people in at least 17 different states launched a 19-day "strike" in response to an April riot at South Carolina's Lee Correctional Institution that left seven inmates dead. Organized by a South Carolina-based group of incarcerated individuals calling themselves Jailhouse Lawyers Speak, the strike was rolled out with a list of ten demands challenging conditions of "modern day slavery" at state and federal jails and prisons and immigration detention centers. The demands, circulated on social media and endorsed by more than 150 allied groups are as follows: 

1. Immediate improvements to the conditions of prisons and prison policies that recognize the humanity of imprisoned men and women. 

2. An immediate end to prison slavery. All persons imprisoned in any place of detention under United States jurisdiction must be paid the prevailing wage in their state or territory for their labor. 

3. The Prison Litigation Reform Act must be rescinded, allowing imprisoned humans a proper channel to address grievances and violations of their rights. 

4. The Truth in Sentencing Act and the Sentencing Reform Act must be rescinded so that imprisoned humans have a possibility of rehabilitation and parole. No human shall be sentenced to Death by Incarceration or serve any sentence without the possibility of parole. 

5. An immediate end to the racial overcharging, over-sentencing, and parole denials of Black and brown humans. Black humans shall no longer be denied parole because the victim of the crime was white, which is a particular problem in southern states. 

6. An immediate end to racist gang enhancement laws targeting Black and brown humans. 

7. No imprisoned human shall be denied access to rehabilitation programs at their place of detention because of their label as a violent offender. 

8. State prisons must be funded specifically to offer more rehabilitation services. 

9. Pell grants must be reinstated in all US states and territories. 

10. The voting rights of all confined citizens serving prison sentences, pretrial detainees, and so-called “ex-felons” must be counted. Representation is demanded. All voices count!

​In some states prisoners are required to work difficult or dangerous jobs—such as fighting wildfires, farming, and manufacturing—for little or no pay. In others, private prisons contract with private companies to provide cheap labor. But in Illinois (where there are no private prisons), prison work is actually so scarce that inmates may not be striking against it.
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