Is it? Some insight from my pen pal who is incarcerated: right now all 120 inmates who regularly work in the garment factory onsite are working 7 days a week making masks and medical gowns. The national average for this work is 27 cents per hour https://twitter.com/vulture/status/1247365778321571840

For most other jobs in the prison - such as laundry - they are limiting the workforce to minimize contact. Which means the ones who are working are doing 2-3 times as much work as they normally do in those jobs.

“We’ve only been under this restriction for 8 days now but I am utterly exhausted and being pushed to the limits of my endurance.” Prison labor is slave labor. Please remember them when you show gratitude for the folks sacrificing to keep you safe

Genuinely worried that my tweeting about this will get her in trouble so please don’t snitch

Also, the reason why the measly pay matters (aside from slavery being wrong): prisoners get charged money for most things. Classes! Paper! And they aren’t cutting them deals.

It was fascinating to hear from her what’s going on. She said it’s not all bad. Because visitations have been canceled, they’re all getting to use the phones more. For folks whose families can’t afford to visit, that’s an improvement

If any of you have follow up questions for her, let me know. I am terrible at coming up with good questions so you’d be helping me out. Oh, and I highly recommend signing up to be someone’s prison pen pal if you’re considering it! You don’t have to be good at writing letters!