As the nation celebrates Labor Day, we must recognize those that labor every day for pennies per hour in prisons, jails, and detention centers across the country. Many imprisoned individuals are conducting peaceful protests to call for an end to unnecessarily long sentences, prison conditions that respect human rights, and fair wages for a day’s work. The United States has a duty to end its ignominious reign as a world leader in mass incarceration, and to do so, we must listen to the voices of those who have been most impacted by this incarceration crisis. Incarcerated people are fighting fires, farming, and creating products sold by state and private industries. The NAACP is committing to ensuring that their labor is treated with the dignity that all labor deserves, with safe conditions, appropriate compensation, and pathways to post-incarceration opportunity. We stand in solidarity with those behind bars (including members of our prison branches) who are standing up for their rights as we celebrate this Labor Day.
NAACP Supports Prisoners Across the Nation Protesting Long Sentences, Inhumane Conditions, and Forced Labor
