Slavery Amendment A

[def90]

Was thinking, is this really a just way to ban the use of inmates for work? As in if this passes road side work gang cleanup crews as a form of punishment would then be illegal without paying them?

[Irving]

Haven't read the amendment, but I wonder if this is some sort of job protection angle as prisons can use free labor to have inmates make products, then it is very easy for prisons to undercut legitimate businesses in the market place because no one can touch the low prices of slave labor.

[crays]

This has come up on the ballot before, and was defeated. There's probably an existing thread on here, unless it was before the Great Crash.


ETA:
Amendment T 2016, Failed. Sounded good for "feels" in the title, but is rife with potential for unintended consequences such as civil litigation from previous inmates for a variety of duties/work/jobs performed while incarcerated, etc., in its wording. (In my opinion)

Amendment A 2018, MAY have addressed wording to be more clear on scope. That will take further research.

https://ballotpedia.org/Colorado_Amendment_A,_Removal_of_Exception_to_Slav ery_Prohibition_for_Criminals_Amendment_(2018)

http://www.cpr.org/news/story/supporters-rally-to-abolish-slavery-from-colorado-constitution-amendment-to-appear-on-nov

Plenty more info out therre easy to search.

[def90]

OK, just read it closer again.. yeah it would basically outlaw using any form of slavery or involuntary servitude (aka work) as a punishment to a crime.. so no more road side work crews some times labeled as "community service" and so on is how I read it.

[MarkCO]

Was thinking, is this really a just way to ban the use of inmates for work? As in if this passes road side work gang cleanup crews as a form of punishment would then be illegal without paying them?

Correct. That is exactly what it would do. It almost passed in 2016. It has bi-partisan support in the State Legislature and almost no opposition. When I asked my State Legislator about it, a few issues were alluded to. Basically, inmate work for no (as well as low) pay will cease. No financial impact studies are available, but it will cost the state (and county) jails millions. Since many State facilities and institutions (CU Boulder for instance) are required to purchase many items from the State Prison industries, those costs will go up as well. So there will be millions in added costs.

[ray1970]

I didn?t give it much thought. The state constitution is such a garbled up mess the last thing we need is more amendments. I figure pretty much anything that makes it?s way to a vote likely isn?t in my best interest. Anything that would actually benefit me would get shot down before ever making it to the ballot.

[crays]

Haven't read the amendment, but I wonder if this is some sort of job protection angle as prisons can use free labor to have inmates make products, then it is very easy for prisons to undercut legitimate businesses in the market place because no one can touch the low prices of slave labor.

Here's a refresher for you, Irving: https://www.ar-15.co/threads/159411-COLORADO-Local-Political-Thread?p=2027771&viewfull=1#post2027771

ETA Posts #4-6 popped up before I got back to put this here, so there is some redundancy, but it appears the thoughts on this are still the same 2 years later. [Beer]

[MarkCO]

https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/15/us/slavery-vote-in-colorado-trnd/index.html Acknowledges that unpaid labor is constitutional in CO and the US currently.

https://www.denverpost.com/2018/10/12/colorado-amendment-a-removing-slavery-references-state-constitution/ says that slave labor is illegal already (false).

Colorado Correctional Industries: https://www.coloradoci.com/bin-htm/aboutUs.html?intro

[thedave1164]

Just say no

[MarkCO]

I ask myself...what "debt" to society are they paying? Loss of their freedom costs society a LOT of $. Seems like preventing them working for less than minimum wage is the only token debt that they have the ability to pay. Seems like a liberal measure to me.

[XJ]

Who is the fucktard that allowed the official title with “slavery” in it to be used?

[Irving]

I wonder how it would affect being able to serve community service in lieu of jail time. No more community service, just straight to jail, where the state then has to pay you? Sounds bunk.

[GeorgeandSugar]

Voted NO on all these measures. Unless specific and detailed, don't trust the backers behind these measures. Just look at who is behind Y & Z. This is especially true when it comes to amending the state Constitution.


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[Eric P]

This needs a 55% majority, right?

Nothing wrong with using prisoners as slaves to payback their debt to society for free room and board

[Zundfolge]

Overall this hurts prisoners more than anything else because many use the ability to work for money to spend in the commissary and that will be stripped from those prisoners that don't have people on the outside sending cash in for them.

Also I expect this will mean an end to programs that teach prisoners job skills.

Again, leftists hurt those they claim to care about with their total lack of understanding of economics and their shortsightedness.

[Irving]

Seems like prisons are ripe with corruption, especially privately owned, for profit prisons. The last thing we need is private prison money influencing politicians to find ways to keep prison populations up so they don't reduce their bottom line.

[Great-Kazoo]

Seems like prisons are ripe with corruption, especially privately owned, for profit prisons. The last thing we need is private prison money influencing politicians to find ways to keep prison populations up so they don't reduce their bottom line.

a few decades too late for that.

[Irving]

Yeah I know. I don't usually think about the prison system, but when I do, what extremely little I know seems like such a cluster that I have to stop thinking about it altogether.

[Jer]

Overall this hurts prisoners more than anything else because many use the ability to work for money to spend in the commissary and that will be stripped from those prisoners that don't have people on the outside sending cash in for them.

Also I expect this will mean an end to programs that teach prisoners job skills.

Again, leftists hurt those they claim to care about with their total lack of understanding of economics and their shortsightedness.

Not to mention this is a reward for good behavior and not a punishment. Many of them don't see it as slavery but a motivator to not be a turd while on the inside. This isn't something they HAVE to do but something they GET to do. Why this keeps popping up is beyond me. People watch WAY too many movies and the new bills introduced are evidence of the idiotic ideas they come up with as a direct result.

[hurley842002]

Glad I no longer work for the CDOC!