In Maine, prisoners are thriving in remote jobs

Prison Labor, the 13th Amendment, and “Modern Slavery”

• Many see coerced inmate labor as slavery enabled by the 13th Amendment’s exception; they argue it creates a captive underclass that can be expanded as needed.
• Others counter that the specific population capable of high‑end remote work is tiny and unlikely to affect overall wages or labor markets.
• Some explicitly advocate removing the 13th Amendment exception to prevent systemic exploitation.

Wages, Market Effects, and Garnishment

• One line of debate: if prisoners are paid below market rates, prisons and vendors can undercut outside workers and pocket the spread.
• Examples are raised of prison jobs paying under $1/day versus this article’s rare six‑figure case, which commenters see as an outlier.
• Maine’s 10% “room and board” cut is viewed by some as reasonable, by others as a slippery slope toward higher state skims and de facto slavery.

Restitution vs. Coercion

• Some argue offenders must be forced to work to compensate victims, otherwise insurance or taxpayers unfairly absorb losses.
• Critics reply that current prison pay is too low to meaningfully compensate victims and that insurance is already the social mechanism for making people whole.
• Others note that being “made whole” emotionally is often impossible; focus should be on rehabilitation rather than extracting labor.

Rehabilitation, Dehumanization, and Recidivism

• Strong theme: US prisons are primarily punitive and dehumanizing, creating a permanent underclass and pushing people back into crime.
• Several argue rehabilitation means helping people want and see a path away from crime—through skills, income, and family contact—not just locking them up.
• Commenters cite evidence and examples (including Nordic models) that skills training, work at real wages, and maintained family ties reduce reoffending.

Remote Work Programs: Promise and Risk

• Many see remote tech jobs from prison as a rare “win”: people leave with skills, savings, and sometimes an existing job; staff assaults reportedly drop sharply.
• Others warn that any beneficial program can be twisted into a labor-extraction scheme, especially under for‑profit or revenue‑hungry systems.
• Some draw a hard line: meaningful work should be voluntary, fairly paid at outside market rates, and structured to benefit the inmate upon release.

Background Checks and Reentry Barriers

• The fact that a long‑term inmate “passes” a 7‑year background check is used to criticize the arbitrariness and box‑ticking nature of hiring filters.
• Commenters note that widespread cheap background checks make post‑release employment far harder now than decades ago, undermining rehabilitation.

Private Prisons, Political Power, and Voting Rights

• While private prisons hold a minority of inmates, many note a broader “prison industrial complex”: profit-seeking vendors, immigration detention, and local economic incentives to keep beds full.
• “Prison gerrymandering” and felony disenfranchisement are discussed as perverse incentives: prisoners boost a district’s representation without being allowed to vote.
• Several argue all prisoners should retain the right to vote, viewing disenfranchisement as anti-democratic and historically tied to racial control.