A shocking report from The Associated Press reveals major retailers are linked to one of the country’s largest maximum-security prisons.
Louisiana State Penitentiary is accused of forcing their male prisoners to perform hard labor in extreme conditions to guarantee purchases from popular retailers. Some of the products these prisoners help produce include Frosted Flakes, Ball Park hot dogs, and Coca-Cola. From there, they land on the shelves of stores including Kroger, Target, Aldi, and Whole Foods.
Investigations revealed that certain corporations buy directly from the prison , with some goods being exported, thus violating their own policies against labor. Products are also found to come from countries with blocked goods that use forced or prison labor. However, historical laws in place make these acts perfectly legal.
Under the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, slavery is banned unless deemed punishment for a crime. Known as the “world’s prison capital,” Louisiana State Penitentiary puts its prisoners to work on the same plantations rooted in slavery that grew cotton, tobacco, and sugarcane more than 150 years ago. Thankfully the clause is being challenged on federal levels in hopes of removing such verbiage.