iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Lulit Shewan

Lorena Roque @lorenamroque.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

NEW: From my colleague @lshewan.bsky.social The Trump Administration has wasted no time introducing a slew of anti-union sentiment and legislation, including right-to-work laws. The organized U.S. South provides the blueprint for the future. www.clasp.org/blog/souther...

clasp.org

For Southern Black Workers, The Fight Against Racist Right-to-Work Legislation is Nothing New | CLASP

By Lulit Shewan The Southern U.S. has historically had the largest number of Black people in the workforce in the country. This is a region where workplace organizing faces hostile laws and employer p...

022

Lulit Shewan @lshewan.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

My latest with @clasp.org on the new push for racist, anti-union Right-to-Work legislation⬇️

001

Lulit Shewan @lshewan.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

The use of incarcerated individuals as a source of cheap labor for critical public services, while failing to provide adequate compensation or long-term support, mirrors historical patterns of systemic labor exploitation.

030

Lulit Shewan @lshewan.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

implications or the structural inequities it perpetuates. Improved living conditions in fire camps should not be leveraged as a justification for the program but instead as an indictment of the general prison system's failure to meet basic standards of human dignity. +

120

Lulit Shewan @lshewan.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

of traditional prisons. By comparison, the camps may appear more "humane", but this comparison implicitly normalizes the unacceptable standards of the broader prison system. This creates a dangerous precedent where any marginal improvement can be positioned as a privilege, regardless of ethical+

120

Lulit Shewan @lshewan.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

While this may seem like a step forward, it is essential to contextualize these perceived benefits within the broader carceral system. The improved conditions in fire camps do not exist in isolation but rather in stark contrast to the overcrowded, under-resourced, and often inhumane environments+

120

Lulit Shewan @lshewan.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

One last thing I'd like to highlight related to the original thread: The idea that living conditions in fire camps are better compared to traditional prisons, (access to more open spaces, improved facilities, and the sense of contributing to critical public safety efforts), is not a good thing. +

120

Lulit Shewan @lshewan.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Furthermore, we can address every aspect of carceral labor in this context. While there are pathways for formerly incarcerated firefighters to seek employment post-release, significant barriers remain. Despite training and experience, many face challenges due to their criminal records+

120

Lulit Shewan @lshewan.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

It's not our place to offer judgement on individual experiences of incarcerated people, rather point to a largely exploitative system. Prison labor is a multibillion-dollar industry, & one that dangerously uses the idea of rehabilitation+honorable work to justify wealth accumulation & paltry wages+

141

Lulit Shewan @lshewan.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

one's carceral outcomes are directly related to the volume & nature of the labor extracted from them. The limited opportunities and harsh conditions within the prison system can and have coerced inmates into participation. +

120

Lulit Shewan @lshewan.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

The program is described as voluntary, and many incarcerated individuals do indeed desire this form of "work" -- the individual you reference outlines many of the "benefits" associated. However, we are going a step further so as to question what "voluntary" really means in a system where+

120

Lulit Shewan @lshewan.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Incarcerated firefighters earn between $5.80 and $10.24 per day, with an additional $1 per hour during active emergencies. While this may seem beneficial, it's important to note that these wages are significantly below California's minimum wage of $16.50 per hour.+

130

Lulit Shewan @lshewan.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

unjust and exploitative penal labor system. We are well-aware that firefighting is seen as coveted work in California prisons. I cannot over-emphasize how important it is to frame this in the context of the conditions that are set in indentured servitude. +

130

Lulit Shewan @lshewan.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

This individual offers an important perspective to the conversation, as all who have lived experience within the carceral system do. There is one thing that is important to note: when we say the reality of choice in carceral labor is skewed, we are discussing it in the context of the inherently+

120

Lulit Shewan @lshewan.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Hi! Thank you for your curiosity. I wrote this thread with @clasp.org and wanted to add some further perspective. Thread below:

230

Reposted by Lulit Shewan

Center for Law and Social Policy @clasp.org · 17/01/2025

Los Angeles has used nearly 900 incarcerated individuals as first responders on the ongoing wildfires. They earn ~$10 or less a day. Last November, an anti-slavery measure failed to pass in the California State Legislature, allowing forced labor to continue in CA prisons.

232