FeedNo One is Illegal: Slavery in the New American Century
It’s been purported that not a single prisoner will admit they are guilty. My experience at the FDC completely contradicts this assertion. In fact, very few of the people I’ve spoken to have professed to be innocent. This does not mean that our justice system is reasonable or effective; almost everyone’s story demonstrates how brutal and disturbing the sentences handed out by the Feds really are. Amongst all of these victims of state oppression, the most appalling stories are of those convicted of illegal re-entry.
Not that long ago undocumented immigrants would simply be deported if their presence was discovered by the authorities. Today a far more treacherous fate awaits those whose only crime may be crossing an imaginary line to return to their families. Within the system they call themselves Paisas and their numbers are astonishing (I’ve heard they make up as much as 60% at many institutions) The sentences being handed out vary, but 30 months seems to be the most prevalent; the maximum penalty is 20 years. Once they have completed their sentences, they are immediately put on a bus and dropped off in Tijuana.
Many of them have no family in Mexico; some of them have lived here since they were young children. Given this, it should be a foregone conclusion that they will return; and almost all the guys I spoke with plan to do exactly that. Many of them have a wife and children here and are not about to abandon their families. If they are caught again in the United States, they will likely spend 60 months in prison, but relocating to Mexico just isn’t an option.
We like to think that slavery in America ended with the passage of the 13th Amendment, but it is alive and well in our prisons – this is especially true for the Paisas. Every convict in prison must work, and, although the federal system does pay its inmate workers, the rates are so abysmally low that it can rightfully be called slave labor. Wages start at 10 cents and hour and peak well below minimum wage.
Furthermore, many convicts are assessed a restitution fee they must pay back. In the case of embezzlers, this is supposed to equate to the money they swindled, but in the case of illegal entry, the restitution fee just adds insult to injury. Denied the pennies they would otherwise receive, these immigrants trule become slaves in every sense of the word.
And so, in this New American Century, what was once referred to as a peculiar institution has reared its ugly head again. Whereas the issue of aging slaves created a considerable dilemma before, today the slaves are on loan from Mexico and returned before they are old and frail and in need of expensive medical care. A new wave of able-bodied immigrants will always be coming across the border in the hopes of building a better life for themselves and their families; likewise, the government will always have a pool to populate its prisons and perpetuate a peculiar institution, which was, is, and always will be nothing more than a euphemism for inhuman slavery.
Perhaps incarceration does serve a legitimate purpose in rehabilitating those who have committed a crime. Perhaps it does not. What is clear is that locking people up for crossing an imaginary line and making them labor on behalf of the state, which will then eject them from the country is a barbaric practice that should be abolished immediately. It’s time that we as a country come to our senses and realize that no one is illegal.
Dear Josh
I wish you the very best — your courage is more than admirable. I listened to you on Democracy Now and thought of Mark Twain’s story “The United States of Lyncherdom” — people are afraid to stand up… I am hoping that the Libby trial will help unravel our government of fear.
As for the “Paisas”– I am not surprised. I’m working on a research project with undocumented college students.. There is one story going around about a huge prison complex being built in Alaska for undocumented detainees.
Is there some way I could get more information on the Paisas situation? I can be reached at bornintheUSA2008@gmail.com
Thank you.
just another american fraud…home of the free land of the brave
america was founded on violence, lives for violence and spreads violence at home and abroad
if the people dont wake up they will all be right back on the plantation wondering how they got there…and sure they will be some white overseers to make them feel good about themselves…they might even have more black and brown ones on the gun lines this time around given the demographics
i put a link to amy goodman’s sotry on my blog, maintain your strength, and keep up the good work.
link
Such phrases like “imaginary” are pointless, borders are real because people make it real by actively defending them, it’s the same for everything including right to private property, even ownership (which included ownership of oneself, is there an imaginary border around your own body or is it free for people to cross?)
Thanks.
Quote: is there an imaginary border around your own body or is it free for people to cross?
No, it’s a real boundary. It’s called our fists, and our Constitution-protected guns. Honestly. I have the right to protect myself. If you attack me or try to “cross my boundary”, thereby infringing upon my rights, I have the right to protect myself.
As far of immigration, I just don’t get it. Where did your grandparents come from? Their parents? Unless you’re native American, you have NO right to live in the U.S. any more than “foreigners” do; if you’re Native American, then you shouldn’t be arguing about immigration, you should be fighting against the whole U.S. government. You know why those people come here? To try to earn an honest living and get out of the hell-hole that is (usually) their home country, due (usually) to government-inflicted poverty. And then they come here, and all us American bastards hate on them and try to send them back because they want to get a minimum wage job to feed their family. And/or put them in prison and enslave them, like Josh said.
More seriously though, Josh, I agree 100% with this blog post, and just becoming aware of your situation, I’m going to do all I can to help you out. In fact, I’ll try to raise some public support from a few of my sites. I don’t know what else to say. This entire situation is ridiculous. One thing I can say – you’re fighting for the rights of all Americans. There aren’t many like you around
God bless.
Hello Josh,
I heard about your situation when you were first arrested and it frightens me to the core that you are still behind bars. Stick it out man! have you considered practicing yoga to pass the time, get some exercise, and clear the mind?
The fight you are engaged in is very important, as you know, so show “the man” how true democratic citizens act.
The Bush admin govt, even more than previous US fed govts, is becoming totalitarian and very scary. I hope that your plight wakes up the US population, like your poem says. As a Canadian, I hope for another US revolution and a complete redesign of your political system. The corrupt, self serving admin is pursueing its own agenda and it controls who gets to enter the “elite” who make the laws and policy and who steer the course of your history.
Anyway, that’s my rant. In response to your posting, here’s a question. Who benefits from running federal prisons? I know that some US prisons are private (soooo scary that I just threw up in my mouth a little). So, who is receiving the fat cash? If the fed prisons are private, then I would contend that Bush admin cronies (or whoever they are, I am just really, really biased and sceptical) are stealing money from the US taxpayer, again. Same as the Iraq war, private armies like Blackwater, and the whole military-industrial complex.
Keeping somebody in jail in Canada costs somewhere in the neighbourhood of $120k per year (I think I heard the number on CBC a few years ago). That’s alot of money if the 60% of federal prisoners who are illegal immegrants, that used to get a $1000 (guessing) accompanied trip to TJ, now get a potential 30 month jail term that incedentally costs $300,000 (plus or minus) each. This is a serious violation of first human rights and a distant second the US taxpayer, whether or not the money is funding neo-con really scary people.
Keep it up man and I look forward to reading the rest of your blog.
“Making the world safe for hypocrisy, selling you the drug ’cause we invented the disease.”
Hang in there.
“You know why those people come here? To try to earn an honest living and get out of the hell-hole that is (usually) their home country, due (usually) to government-inflicted poverty.”
That’s ok if they do, but we have procedures which must be followed in order for them to become citizens so that they can legally work here and pay taxes like the rest of us. I’m all for helping out people, but only if they try and help temselves – and also go about it the correct (and legal) way.
To Josh – I’d gladly take turns with you doin’ time if it was at all possible (easy to say, I know – but I would). I admire and respect your actions in this matter. We need more people like you that see the whole picture and not just the portion that suits themselves for their own selfish purposes.
What’s with “undocumented” immigrants? They are illegal, not “undocumented.” They broke federal law by violating our national sovereignty, and they are in jail for it. And if you think the laws here are bad, check out how Mexico itself treats immigrants — illegal and legal.
I have family and friends who immigrated legally. I have absolutely zero sympathy for these incarcerated criminals.
I think all criminals (including the illegal aliens you are staying with) should do enough work to fully pay for the cost of their crimes. That should include the roof over their heads, the food they eat, the prison guards salaries and benefits, all the prison luxury amenities(libraries, internet, etc.), the cost of the police (or border patrol) who had to catch their illegal asses. After that comes the retribution to society/victims.
It’s a shame that so many writers with well-reasoned arguments and good intentions feel it necessary to slobber reactionary hyperbole over their writing, like drowning a good steak in a gallon of ketchup.
If the goal is to preach to the converted and rile up the extreme, such language will do admirably.
But if the goal is to convince the moderates – the people who *can* change our world – that our world needs to be changed, extremist rhetoric, even when used in service of a good cause, will only alienate anyone not already “on board”.
This, it seems to be, is the biggest problem with the vocal American left (I’m not confusing this group with the Democratic party as a whole): Like the band Rage Against the Machine, they make sweet music for anyone who already agrees, and grate on the senses of anyone who doesn’t already understand.
The only result is that the movement drifts further and further, and less and less can be accomplished.
If you want to pat yourself on the back, do it in the blogosphere. If you want to change the world, you’d better start talking to CNN, Fox News, and MTV – and in terms that won’t make the average listener think of Karl Marx.
I think this reactionary hyperbole probably accurately conveys our true feelings with an intensity directly proportional to the amount of ketchup applied to our writing. Who says steak can not taste good with gallonss of ketchup?
BTW – I’m not making fun of your choice of words, or of you for that matter. I’m simply trying to make the point that we say what we feel in a manner that most accurately shows our feelings. There is something to be said for our lack of grammatical abilities. We can not all be professional writers, but thanks for the tips
Josh,
We’re on the same pages, and I’m sorry your down. Stay strong. The Whole World’s Watching.
My name is Lee Wood and I working to reconstitute the new Committee to Abolish Prison Slavery (CAPS). Your article, “No One is Illegal: Slavery in the New American Century”, is understood and will surely be discussed by, and with like-minded Abolitionist friends because I will post it on the new CAPS website and submit it to the CERJ / John Woolman University email newslist.
If agreed, I will send you an attachment via your Support Committee containing our ebook Prison Slavery. It is 10 megs, 235 pages, and I use two emails for delivery with my dial-up. Sorry, we’re out of print.
We, too, are concerned about what the slave master fascists ‘will put others in jail for, if they put you in jail for nothing.’ We hear you, Brother, and we know why you ask! You have dared to protect the First Amendment rights of speech and press for all as you stand against the Goliath of fascism only to be punished with slavery.
Poverty, Punishment and War represent the three basic institutions of slavery. Now, concerning your article, and the plight of so many of our Brothers and Sisters who have dared to cross their Northern border in search for the abolition of poverty as slavery. This is like the old underground railroad with chattel slaves being lead across the Canadian border to freedom and sanctuary. Our Hispanic and Mexicano Brothers and Sisters come across their northern most boarder as runaway slaves from poverty. And, those among you are now together with you in “slavery…as a punishment for crime.” Out from the institution of poverty as slavery and into the institution of slavery…as punishment.
One of the protocols of prison slavery is the value and capture per head. A huge percentage of prisoners made less than $10,000 outside before being slammed inside. While inside, the slavery profit motive takes off as the value of that same person is both forced and/or coerced to labor whether s/he is paid or not; and the various States and Federal prison systems charge tax payers $30,000 to $65,000 per head per year. Big biz, big profits on Wall Street, and at everyone else’s expense.
In 1982 when CAPS published Prison Slavery, the prison population was approximately 425,000 men, women and children. Twenty-five years later that population has skyrocketed to over 2,500,000 prisoners. One of the answers to “What happened?” is that new laws were passed, i.e. drug laws, immigration laws, and now they want a new spanking children law that will imprison parents. Back to the immigration law proposed by some stupid legislator who wanted to make illegal status punishable as a felony. It possibly would have passed if millions of beautiful Hispanic students hadn’t marched in the streets all across the country. And, yet your article describes Mexicanos doing felony immigration time. Is that a correct reading?
Did you vote in this last national election? I hope you did, but you most likely did not. Right? Well, my Brother, if not then you are being denied your Citizenship right to Vote; and if that is the case then you are being held in an illegal condition of slavery, because citizens have the right to vote; and you have not been duly convicted. Your status, from Citizen with rights, to that of slave without voting rights has not been concluded, and yet the denial of your voting rights has been concluded.
Thirteenth Amendment (12/31/1865)
“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, EXCEPT AS A PUNISHMENT FOR CRIME
WHEREOF THE PARTY SHALL HAVE BEEN DULY CONVICTED, shall exist within
the United States or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”
CAPS proposed Petition Amendment change reads:
“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist within
the United States or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”
Towards Abolition,
Lee Wood,
Abolish Prison Slavery
prisonslavery@yahoo.com
PS.
How about – the land of free and home of the slave.
it costs about 40k to house a prisoner per year, not 125k.
native americans came from across the bearing straight, so everyone here imigrated at one time or another.
i think a bit of education would behoove all of you reactionary leftists.
Yeah, 125k does seem a bit high. I’ve always seen the figure at between 30 and 40k which I think is still WAY too high. I can own a house, two cars, raise two kids, support a wife’s modest shopping sprees, eat decent meals, pay the bills (on time and in full), and much more on 40k.
I have never seen any breakdown of where the money goes to house that 30-40k/inmate figure. If anyone knows of a site, please share.
i think it just costs a lot of money to build concrete houses for prisoners, and have guards on hand at a reasonable ratio. add healthcare and on call medica services…. it adds up. times that by three shifts a day, seven days a week. yeah, maybe it could be cheaper, but then if you cut back then you get sued by the aclu. i think its money well spent when you are talking about the worst of the worst. people can argue all they want about the merits of the war on drugs and folks serving time for drug related time, but how many of us really want to live next door to drug pushers and users. been there, done that, and it gets old quick. i have even less patience for killers, rapists, and pedophiles. if liberals have an answer to all of that that works, id be happy to entertain them, but ive yet to hear how putting the criminals first helps me and my family.
These statistics come from Canadian Prison data.
http://www.prisonjustice.ca/politics/facts_stats.html
“The Costs of Incarceration
Cost of incarcerating a Federal prisoner: $259.05 per prisoner/per day
Cost of incarcerating a Federal female prisoner: $150,000-$250,000 per prisoner/per year
Cost of incarcerating a Federal male prisoner: $87,665 per prisoner/per year
Cost of incarcerating a provincial prisoner: $141.78: per prisoner/per day
The cost of alternatives such as probation, bail supervision and community supervision range from $5-$25/day.”
I do not know if prisons cost alot more in Canada to operate, or if many costs of US prisons are hidden or accounted for differently
Thanks Rob. I’m in the US and assumed the figures were for here, so the numbers are really expected to be large due to the conversion rate.
I still think they’re high, but not as bad as I first thought.
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sorry josh, I am picking a side of the imaginary line that I live on.
I live in the united states. People on the southern side of the imaginary line would be Mexico.
I think people in Mexico should stay. Or migrate through normal means of citizenship. I should not need to learn another language while in the united states. People who come here, should realize that they might eventually go to jail OR get deported.
Slave labor ? my ass. Its a system. Want to change it ? become apart of it from the inside and make changes there. Norman Mailer was right.
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