![[dan-truett-mcwhorter.jpg]](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_473nrD5vEv8/S5hAR2x0JVI/AAAAAAAACVo/caHZJMX-j9o/s400/dan-truett-mcwhorter.jpg)
Today's picture was taken in 1936, and it shows a prison work crew. The picture was taken in North Carolina. I wonder when prisoners stopped wearing striped clothing. I routinely see prison work crews picking up trash on the side of the road, but they wear bright orange.
I would guess that a bright orange would be easier to spot than faded black and white uniforms like that one inmate has on. The b & w stripes stands out but not like the orange does.
ReplyDeleteI'd bet the ACLU sued the states stating "Stripes make them look fat".
ReplyDeleteSometimes the local government uses residents at the "Harford Hilton" to unload FEMA trucks, and the inmates do wear black and white striped shirts, but regular jeans.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many convicts actually "do" labor today??
ReplyDeleteI know they life weights and deal drugs inside but wouldn't it make sense to get them out onto the roads and do some work??
SOmetimes in my area in PA they clean the garbage off of the roadways and do wear orange suits. So long as their is adequate security, I see no problem with them doing a hard day's work as opposed their previous lives of loafing and living off of honest people's money which they robbed or worse.
They ought to work for their keep.
ReplyDeleteWhy are the vast majority of your pictures taken in the 1930"s?
ReplyDelete1936 seems to be a particular favorite.
Not that I mind; they are all great. Just wondering.
Inmates do work for their keep. It is required. If you are a model inmate, who works hard you will be chosen for a highly coveted position working road crew, maintenence, farm labor, telemarketing, building houses for habitiat for humanity...all subcontract labor. If you are a bad inmate, you pick up butts for .10 a day. Those good jobs pay great by prison standards (dollars a day instead of pennies- sometimes even dollars and hour) and if they are in there for any length of time they can rack up some pretty good payroll. Here is the catch though. The prisons only allow them access to a small portion of that money while they are still locked up. Once released though, the money is theirs. I have seen people walk out with a few thousand dollars in hand to start their new lives with.
ReplyDeleteThe only inmates who do not work are the ones under special management- deemed too dangerous to be trusted around general population.