Alabama Prisoners File Lawsuit Against State Over Alleged 'Modern-Day Slavery'

The lawsuit alleges that the state's prison labor system, profiting over $450 million annually, violates the U.S. and Alabama constitutions.

Current and former prisoners in Alabama have filed a federal lawsuit against the state, alleging that the prison labor system is a form of modern-day slavery.
The lawsuit claims that Alabama profits over $450 million annually through coerced work, with private corporations also benefiting from an unlawful labor trafficking scheme.
The plaintiffs argue that the state's parole system disproportionately traps Black prisoners in jobs working for little or no pay.
The lawsuit alleges that the system violates the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees equal protection regardless of race, and a recent amendment to Alabama’s state constitution, which bars involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime.
The suit asks the court to end Alabama’s forced-labor practices, order the parole system to make reforms, and award damages to people who have labored in prison work programs.