Colbert's Take On Prison Labor, Unicor's (i.e., unicor.gov) "Escape-Proof Guarantee" and ALEC

[xocet]

Here is Colbert's take on the important issue of prison labor in his segment "The Word":

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/419674/october-01-2012/the-word---supply-chained

Here is Unicor's guarantee of customer satisfaction - Unicor's unconscious word choice or attempt at dark humor seems inappropriate at best:

Escape Proof Guarantee

We take great pride in teaching inmates a good work ethic and marketable job skills in order to produce high quality goods and services for our customers. We are committed to your complete and continual satisfaction. If, at any time, an item we have provided does not entirely meet your expectations, we will cheerfully and promptly repair or replace it, entirely at our expense.

For information contact the Customer Service Center at [phone]

http://www.unicor.gov//about/escape_proof/

Democracy Now has also done a piece on prison labor (August 5, 2011) and ALEC's connection to it. This is linked to in a post on The Nation's website:

How ALEC Turned Prisoners into Corporate America's Cheap Labor Force
Kevin Donohoe

What do breaded chicken patties, office chairs and cruise missiles used in Libya have in common? They are all made by America's 100,000-strong secret workforce: prisoners.

Since the 1990s, the American Legislative Exchange Council has helped states turn prisoners into a source of cheap labor for corporate America. On Democracy Now!, Mike Elk explains the hidden history of ALEC and prison labor, and the group's latest effort to privatize America's parole system. You can read Elk's piece on ALEC's prison policies here.


http://www.thenation.com/video/162587/how-alec-turned-prisoners-corporate-americas-cheap-labor-force#

[barnabas63]

1. "Are there no workhouses?" said Scrooge.

Well there are now....

[drokhole]

2. Don't forget the "Guaranteed" 90% occupancy rate...

...that private prison management companies are starting to demand:

Private purchasing of prisons locks in occupancy rates
USA TODAY

"At a time when states are struggling to reduce bloated prison populations and tight budgets, a private prison management company is offering to buy prisons in exchange for various considerations, including a controversial guarantee that the governments maintain a 90% occupancy rate for at least 20 years.

At a time when states are struggling to reduce bloated prison populations and tight budgets, a private prison management company is offering to buy prisons in exchange for various considerations, including a controversial guarantee that the governments maintain a 90% occupancy rate for at least 20 years.

(snip)

The proposal seeks to build upon a deal reached last fall in which the company purchased the 1,798-bed Lake Erie Correctional Institution from the state of Ohio for $72.7 million. Ohio officials lauded the September transaction, saying that private management of the facility would save a projected $3 million annually.

(snip)

Ohio's deal requires the state to maintain a 90% occupancy rate, but Janes said that provision remains in effect for 18 months — not 20 years — before it can be renegotiated. As part of the deal, Ohio pays the company a monthly fee, totaling $3.8 million per year."

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-03-01/buying-prisons-require-high-occupancy/53402894/1

More workers for the gulag! And with a government backed guarantee (also known as, "The War on Drugs&quot !

[Quantess]

3. Who cares about ethics, right?