An Insidious Form of Slavery Still Exists

The 13th Amendment to the Constitution ended chattel slavery, but with an insidious exception: "as a punishment for a crime." This loophole has allowed states to build prison systems so dependent on human exploitation and degradation that it is akin to modern-day slavery.

The organization 13th Forward is a legislative coalition of advocates, grassroots organizations, and impacted people working to end exploitation and brutality within the prison labor system.

In this episode of BSOTB, two members of 13th Forward – Jacalyn Goldzweig, leader of the 13th Forward Coalition for The Legal Aid Society, and Wilfredo Laracuente, 13th Forward leader, educator, and formerly incarcerated advocate, discuss their current legislative push to pass a constitutional amendment in New York State that would end slavery as punishment as a crime and companion legislation that would ensure that all those working inside are treated with dignity and respect.