Chain gangs became popular in southern states before the Civil War and were embraced with enthusiasm by the same states after the abolition of slavery. Perhaps the most emblematic representation of penal labor is the chain gang.

While incarcerated, particularly in former slave states, Black Americans have been forced to do hard manual labor without pay. Since the end of the Civil War, the 13th Amendment has been used to persecute prisoners - especially Black Americans who have traditionally been sent to prison at much higher rates than white Americans. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. Prisoners can be forced to participate in penal labor without pay. In fact, it explicitly states an instance in which slavery and involuntary servitude are permitted - when people are incarcerated.

What many might not recognize is that the 13th Amendment did not ban slavery entirely. This article relates to Chasing Me to My GraveĪs we all know, slavery was abolished in the United States after the Civil War when Congress passed the 13th Amendment.

The 13th Amendment and Contemporary Slavery in the US Prison System

Chasing me to the grave