Lawsuit Exposes Alabama's Prison Labor Program as "Modern Day Slavery"

Current and former inmates in Alabama have filed a class-action lawsuit claiming that the state's prison labor program amounts to "modern day slavery." The suit alleges that prisoners are forced to work for little or no pay in jobs that benefit government entities or private companies, and accuses the state of maintaining a discriminatory parole system to ensure a supply of laborers. The lawsuit argues that the state is violating the U.S. Constitution, anti-human trafficking laws, and the Alabama Constitution. The state's Department of Corrections and attorney general's office declined to comment on the suit.