Your interpretation of it is messed up. Slavery was outlawed by the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments and overruled every state law to the contrary. So it was not legal until yesterday, was a form of punishments, like life in prison and wasn't being used.
@skibum: I am actually curious about this. Could technically the state of Colorado have used convicted criminals for labor in their prisons without paying them then? I now here in Kentucky, if an inmate works at the reformatory, he gets paid a small wage into his account. Granted it is not much, but it is something. That being said, under the Colorado constitution as it was written, then could they have used their convicted inmates for all kinds of state functions (filling pot holes, sweeping streets, any function prisoners do in prisons, etc) without having to pay them, thus saving the state the additional money they spend on supporting the inmates while in prison and helping to improve the state overall?
to me prisoners are no different that age discrimination (which is not a thing). The way I've heard it reasoned was that since everyone has a chance 1) to quality or 2) not qualify then it's not really discrimination. So I don't see the problem with prisoners as unpaid labor. But if they want to pay them 3 cents a hour, that essentially zero, and I'm okay with that, too.
I agree with skibum on the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. At least the trolls didn't chime in that abe lincoln freed the slaves with the emancipation proclamation.
Iam - prisoners have to accept work voluntarily or else it is a violation of the 14th amendment against slavery. In fact, here in the family courts we used to force deadbeat Dad's to work and had a "look for work" office in the Courthouse. Gone now, unconstitutional. We just throw them in jail for 30 days and then see what their work ethic has become. Although minimum wage does not apply they have to be offered something and accept it in compensation for work. One of my clients volunteered for trash duty on the highway because he said being outside is worth it, but he never knew that until he could no longer do it.
10 comments
Latest
I agree with skibum on the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. At least the trolls didn't chime in that abe lincoln freed the slaves with the emancipation proclamation.
Now in Colorado it's not legal at all.