Monthly Archives: July 2021

This article first appeared on the Cato Institute site.

When most Americans learn about the 13th Amendment in high school, the teacher will cursorily remark that "the 13th Amendment ended slavery in the United States," and move on to the 14th Amendment.

This oversimplification is a fiction. Slavery is still legal in the United States, so long as it is pursuant to a criminal conviction and if it is limited to compulsory uncompensated laborand indeed that is precisely the system America maintains today.

The 13th Amendment, as enacted, reads "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."

Slavery is neither a cruel nor unusual punishment according to the Supreme Law of the Land, nor historically has it been considered that. In the 1700s and early 1800s, Americans viewed compulsory labor as a way to fight vagrancy and to rehabilitate such idleness.

However, the states began to understand the potential for revenue generation from prisons in the 1800scompulsory labor and the sale of prison products became a means to offset state costs. To be sure, the Virginia Supreme Court in Ruffin v. Commonwealth (1871) declared that prisoners were the "slaves of the State" within a compulsory labor system.

This "Punishments" clause allowed for the birth of the "convict-lease" system in the South after the war. Many Southern states passed anti-vagrancy "black codes," criminalizing the status of being unemployed. Citing cost reasons, states would then lease out their prisoners to private persons to work under slave-like conditions.

As Frederick Douglass noted, "companies assume charge of the convicts, work them as cheap labor and pay the states a handsome revenue for their labor. Nine[-]tenths of these convicts are Negroes."

Since the 1860s, courts have interpreted the 13th Amendment as it plainly reads. "Once individuals have been duly tried, convicted, sentenced, and imprisoned, courts will not find 13th Amendment violations where prison rules require inmates to work."

For example, in Mikeska v. Collins (1990), the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals held that "any unjustified refusal to follow the established work regime is an invitation to sanctions."

The compensation of prison labor today reflects this history. In Georgia and Texas, the maximum wage in dollars per day is $0. In Nevada, prisoners make $0.13 an hour. The average wage is between $0.93 a day and $4.93 a dayless than an hour of work at minimum wage. Conservative estimates put the value of output from prison labor at $2 billion annually.

Indeed, much like the Southern states claimed after the Civil War, "states facing growing budget deficits are increasingly turning to inmate labor to produce additional revenue, or at a minimum, offset the cost of imprisonment." "At least 37 states have legalized the contracting of prison labor by private corporations that mount their operations inside state prisons."

While amending the Constitution to fix a $2 billion a year compulsory labor industry is politically unlikely, Congress may take measures to ensure that rehabilitative compulsory labor is not uncompensated, like compelling the payment of a federal minimum wage. State legislatures also could apply minimum wage rules to prisoners.

Prisoners are often indigent upon release; allowing them to save money for their transition back to society seems only logical if the goal is the reduce recidivism. Paying prisoners fair wages allows them to afford housing and sustenance while transitioning back to being a productive member of society. Additionally, the availability of compulsory, cheap labor to private companies undercuts domestic industry itself.

America must change its practice of not compensating prisoners for their labor. While work has rehabilitative benefits, rehabilitation of the wards of the state should not convert them to the "slaves of the State." Fair wages should follow compelled work.

Randal John Meyer is a legal associate in the Cato Institute's Center for Constitutional Studies.

Read more:

Slavery Is Still Legal in the United States

With a petrified look in his eyes, the carwash worker dropped his soapy sponge and ran down the street in panic when he saw police vans surround the forecourt. The only thought in the young mans mind was to flee yet he was one of the people the officers were there to potentially rescue.

For the specialists whose job is to find, stop and prevent modern slavery, this car-wash workers reaction is a common sight when they descend on the scenes of suspected exploitation.

The uppermost worry for many potential victims is being prosecuted themselves, especially if they are an illegal immigrant and sometimes they have been indoctrinated by their bosses.

The freshest exclusives and sharpest analysis, curated for your inbox

He looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights, said Martin Plimmer, of the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), which led Operation Bronco at a car wash in Liverpool, last Wednesday.

i joined his team on its raid after it received a tip-off about suspected exploitation of workers. The allegations included that the employees were not being paid adequately, were being controlled by their bosses and had their identification documents takenaway.

The operation, supported by police officers from Merseyside Police, culminated in three suspected victims in their late teens and twenties being safeguarded and taken to a reception centre where they are continuing to receive specialist support.

Two men a 31-year-old Iranian national and a 24-year-old Iraqi national were arrested on suspicion of committing forced or compulsory labour offences under the Modern Slavery Act. The GLAA also conducted searches of their addresses. They have since been released but remain underinvestigation.

With victims afraid to speak out, modern slavery is one of the most serious crimes but also one of the hardest to investigate. Police records revealed that the number of modern slavery offences increased by more than 50 per cent from 3,412 cases in 2018 to 5,144 cases in 2019.

This coincided with a 68 per cent increase in calls to the modern slavery helpline in the same period of time. However, this is believed to be the tip of the iceberg as many other cases go unreported.

There are myriad reasons why potential victims of modern-day slavery run as soon as they see police or members of the GLAA, explains Ian Waterfield, the organisations head of enforcement.

Victims, particularly those who havent got a regulated immigration status, are fearful of authority, he says.

They think were only interested in their immigration status. But thats not the case. First and foremost, they are victims and thats all Im interested in. We want to know their situation and how we can help them. Some of the stories we hear are truly horrendous.

The tip-off came via a call to the Modern Slavery Helpline. The people working at this car wash have no protective equipment or waterproof clothing, Waterfieldsaid.

Our intelligence shows they are working 10 to 12-hour days, seven days a week with no breaks. We think there have been at least 12 workers here at various points. If you look at the number of cars coming through and the money coming in, it doesnt add up.

After the GLAA and the police surrounded the Liverpool carwash, the teams first priority was to separate potential victims from suspected exploiters. Customers were asked to leave and the man believed to hold a supervisory role showed his anger as he was taken inside to be questioned.

One worker recounted to investigators how he had been transported to the UK in the back of a lorry, then the boot of a car, before beginning work at the Liverpool car wash.

We ask carwash workers how they were recruited, how they came to this country, what they are paid and how they are treated at work, said Martin Plimmer, a senior investigating officer for the North West.

Two men were found guilty of running a modern slavery ring at a carwash in Carlisle last month.

Defrim Paci, 42, of Nottinghamshire and Sitar Ali, 33, of Carlisle, brought Romanian workers to the UK and made them work long hours for little pay, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

The workers at Shiny Car Wash told how they had their identity cards taken from them until their travel-cost debt was repaid and said they were living in very dirty, crowded accommodation with only 20 in their pockets after working 11 hours a day, six days a week.

Some workers described having no breaks and having skin burned by cleaning chemicals and of receiving no protective clothing.

Paci and Ali have been remanded in custody for sentencing on 30 July.

Some of them have come from war-torn countries, from very difficult circumstances, and we hear some awful tales. There are people who die in the backs of lorries or freeze to death. The conditions are horrible as they are concealed to avoid detection and have very little air, water or food.

Exploiters are very clever and manipulative, and target workers who are vulnerable.

This is a sad reality across thecountry, Waterfield said. I cant imagine how appalling it must be to come on an incredibly long journey, bundled in the back of a lorry, separated from friends andfamily.

They are sold a dream of life in the UK but are just used for cheap labour and as a money-making mechanism. Some owe money to their exploiters and are trying to pay that off while others are trying to send money home to family.

Fear is instilled into exploited workers. They may be instructed to run if they see police or authority figures or are given a rehearsed script to follow, Plimmer said. We often find victims are told lies by the exploiter so they are fearful of the police and terrified of being arrested and taken to prison.

Even if theyve done nothing wrong, exploiters build on their fear and tell them that if they see the police, to run away or say nothing. Or they give them a very detailed script, saying they are working the correct number of hours for the correct money. Exploiters know the minimum wage, so they feed them the figures.

For the workers, theres often a fear of violence to them or their families. They are spun stories of police and authorities being corrupt and how they are having to pay them. Unfortunately, in some of the war-torn countries people come from, police corruption does exist, so they believe them.

Other tactics that exploiters sometimes use are taking identity documents, such as birth certificates, from workers or getting them to pay a fee perhaps around 200 to cover sick pay. Taking away ID documents stops them working anywhere else and ties them to that business, Plimmer said.

Without them, they cant go to a legitimate business, so they are stuck and controlled.

It is estimated there are around 8,000 to 10,000 carwashes in the UK. While many are legitimate operations, Ian Waterfield says the problem is that they are unregistered and unregulated, leaving them open to abuse.

Workers are prone to exploitation because they are unregulated businesses that pop up on waste ground or the forecourts of closed petrol stations.

The pandemic and lockdowns mean that the workforce may have dispersed into other sectors and now that consumer demand is to increase, additional workers are needed. We believe there are significant levels of exploitation within hand carwashes. Waterfield tells i.

Anyone can set up a carwash, it is a cash business and theres a lot of casual labour. We often find people sleeping on the premises in places like this and being controlled.

Workers are exploited by not being paid properly, working long hours and some working conditions may be unsafe. In many cases, they are charged a fee to come into the UK and are put into work at a car wash to pay off their debts.

Victims are predominantly male and between the ages of 18 and 35. They are unlikely to be paid the National Minimum Wage and the carwashes may offer competitive prices, but employ many workers. On average, this is around five, but can be as many as 40 in larger businesses.

Withheld wages, excessive working hours and debt bondage are alsoreported.

The ultimate goal of the GLAA is to prevent and stop modern slavery and to help victims but the team says it cannot do this without the publics help. If a car wash is really cheap, there is a reason and in these circumstances, it is at the expense of a person, warns Waterfield.

If people spot workers at a car wash looking bedraggled, with no protective equipment, or are worried they are being exploited, wed urge them to contact us. As human beings, everyone seems to want everything for the cheapest possible price but if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

He adds: We want to make the UK a place where the opportunities to exploit people for their labour are eradicated and people are paid a fair days wage for an honest days work in the safest possible conditions.

Report any concerns or suspicions about car washes or modern slaveryto:

The GLAAs intelligence team Mon to Fri from 9am to 5pm on: 0800 4320804 or e-mail: intelligence@gla.gov.uk

Call the Modern Slavery helpline run by the charity Unseern which runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week on: 08000 121 700

Use the Unseen app

Visit the Safe Car Wash app developed by the Clewer Initiative

Call Crimestoppers on: 0800 555111

Read this article:

Inside the raids revealing the appalling reality of modern slavery in UK carwashes - iNews

New York Times Magazine staff writer and 1619 Project creator Nikole Hannah-Jones announced in an exclusive interview on CBS This Morning with co-host Gayle King that she was rejecting an offer of tenure from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC).

Instead, Hannah-Jones explained that she would accept a tenured professorship at Howard University in Washington D.C. as the Knight Chair in Race and Reporting at the Cathy Hughes School of Communication.

Hannah-Jones will join writer Ta-Nehisi Coates (who wrote We Were Eight Years in Power about the Obama administration) in founding the Center for Journalism and Democracy at Howard. The center will be financed with $20 million from the Knight Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, the Ford Foundation and an anonymous donor.

According to a university press release, the new center will focus on training and supporting aspiring journalists in acquiring the investigative skills and historical and analytical expertise needed to cover the crisis our democracy is facing.

The 1619 Project was published by the New York Times in August 2019 and has been promoted with millions of dollars in funding and a school curriculum developed by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. It falsely roots American history in an enduring racial conflict between blacks and whites.

Hannah-Jones lead essay, for which she won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, argued that the American Revolution was fought to preserve slavery against the British monarchy and that President Abraham Lincoln was little more than a garden-variety racist.

new wsws title from Mehring Books

The New York Times 1619 Project and the Racialist Falsification of History

A left-wing, socialist critique of the 1619 project with essays, lectures, and interviews with leading historians of American history.

The response of preeminent American historians Gordon Wood, James McPherson, James Oakes, Clayborne Carson, Victoria Bynum and others exposed the New York Times' effort to reinterpret American history. The World Socialist Web Site, in addition to interviewing these historians, has thoroughly refuted the falsifications of the 1619 Project and the lead essay written by Hannah-Jones.

Her other writings have descended into outright racism against whites. The historical falsifications which she promotes and her limited journalistic record since beginning to write for the Times in late 2014just 23 articleswould certainly qualify as red flags in her application for tenure.

The announcement of Hannah-Jones decision came less than a week after the Board of Trustees at UNC voted 9-4 in a closed session to grant her a lifetime appointment as the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism in the Hussman School of Journalism and Media.

Hannah-Jones, who is African American, had threatened to sue UNC for discrimination based on her political views, race and gender after it came to light in May that the board had set aside a vote on her tenure application for further consideration. Hannah-Jones declared that she would not accept the post without being granted tenure, even though she initially accepted a five-year tenure-track position.

However, last weeks vote did not satisfy Hannah-Jones. And so to be denied it, and to only have that vote occur on the last possible day, at the last possible moment, after threat of legal action, after weeks of protest, after it became a national scandalits just not something that I want anymore, she told King. The process which had led to her being granted tenurea protection granted to a shrinking share of academicshad been too embarrassing for her to teach at UNC, she said.

Hannah-Jones explained to King that she had chosen Howard University after fielding a number of offers from other universities because it is one of the United States' historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) where a majority of the faculty and student body are black.

Ive spent my entire life proving that I belong in elite white spaces that were not built for black people, she explained. I decided I didnt want to do that anymore. That black professionals should feel free, and actually perhaps an obligation, to go to our own institutions and bring our talents and resources to our own institutions and help to build them up as well.

In Depth

The New York Times 1619 Project

The Times Project is a politically-motivated falsification of history. It presents the origins of the United States entirely through the prism of racial conflict.

In a letter published Tuesday. the Hussman faculty declared their support for Hannah-Jones decision to reject the tenure offer, saying that her treatment was humiliating, inappropriate, and unjust, and racist.

It is highly unlikely that the Hussman School and UNC officials were unaware that Hannah-Jones was entertaining lucrative offers from other schools. As with her journalism, which focuses on making race the fundamental issue in American society, it is clear that the main issue for Hannah-Jones was not getting tenure at UNC but promoting racialist politics and using race and claims of racism as leverage for a better position and more money.

In an ironic twist, the history of Hannah-Jones chosen perch, Howard University, flies in the face of her claim in the 1619 Project that African Americans have fought alone to advance democratic rights in the United States.

The schools white namesake, founder and president from 1867 to 1873, General Oliver Otis Howard, was a commander for the Union Army during the Civil War. He participated in multiple bloody battles against Confederate forces, including the First Battle of Bull Run, Antietam and Gettysburg. Howard led forces in Shermans March to the Sea from Atlanta to Savannah in 1864, a campaign which saw thousands of slaves liberated.

Howard also served as the head of the Freedmens Bureau from May 1865 until July 1874, overseeing a federal agency responsible for integrating former slaves into the wage labor system and providing them with rations, medical care, schools and courts. Howard pushed for confiscated and abandoned land in the South to be redistributed to freed blacks but was quickly overruled by Democratic President Andrew Johnson.

There is a debased and foul character to the whole campaign over Hannah-Jones tenure at UNCthe insistence that Hannah-Jones, no matter her qualifications, deserved a tenured position; the immediate charges of racism against anyone who raised questions about the campaign; the threats of lawsuits if she was denied tenure; and then the announcement that she would not accept it anyway in favor of another position funded with $20 million.

In its own way, it sums up a central purpose of the racialist narrative that the Times 1619 Project promotes, namely, to advance the aspirations of privileged sections of the upper middle-class for positions of power and wealth, which has absolutely nothing to do with the interests of workers of any race.

View original post here:

Nikole Hannah-Jones rejects UNC tenure offer to take position at Howard University, backed by millions in foundation funding - WSWS

GLAA officers were joined by Merseyside Police and HM Revenue & Customs National Minimum Wage team for the operation on Wednesday 30 June in Wavertree, Liverpool.

The potential victims, the youngest in his late teens, with the other two in their 20s, were safeguarded and taken to a reception centre set up for the operation where they received specialist support.

Two men a 31-year-old Iranian national and 24-year-old Iraqi national were arrested at the car wash on suspicion of committing forced or compulsory labour offences under Section 1 of the Modern Slavery Act.

GLAA officers also conducted searches of the car wash and addresses of the two suspects.

Information received via the Modern Slavery Helpline earlier in the year combined with the GLAAs own intelligence gathering indicated that workers at the site were not being paid the National Minimum Wage, had identification such as birth certificates taken off them, and were constantly monitored on site, suggesting a level of coercion and control.

GLAA senior investigating officer (SIO) Martin Plimmer said: This operation demonstrates the importance of members of the public being able to spot the signs of modern slavery and more importantly reporting their concerns so we can take action.

Elsewhere, more than 300 farm workers were spoken to by the GLAA as part of an open day event across two agricultural sites in Kent.

GLAA officers were joined by Kent Police for the engagement visits to Mansfields farms near Canterbury last week.

Workers were given the opportunity to speak to the GLAA at the end of their shifts, with information provided to them about their rights in the workplace and how to contact the GLAA or police if they have concerns about labour exploitation.

Mansfields specialises in the growing, picking and packaging of top, stone and soft fruit, harvesting more than 25,000 tonnes of fruit a year across its 3,000 acres of farmland.

Workers are supplied to the business by Pro Force, a GLAA-licensed recruitment agency which provides workers to businesses across the regulated sector of agriculture, horticulture and food production.

GLAA SIO Jennifer Baines said: We were pleased that the workers reported no issues and were happy with their working conditions.

Providing workers with information about their rights and what to do if something is not right is crucial in raising awareness and educating what are potentially vulnerable people about the signs of modern slavery and labour exploitation.

Its also really positive to see first-hand businesses and recruitment agencies take these issues seriously and actively encourage their workers to speak to us so that any problems can be identified and addressed swiftly.

Comment below on this story. Or let us know what you think by emailing us at [emailprotected] or tweet us to tell us your thoughts or share this story with a friend.

Originally posted here:

GLAA operation rescues three from hand car wash in Liverpool - Recruiter

Three potential victims were freed by the police

Two men have been arrested at a Liverpool car wash in conntection with modern slavery.

A 31-year-old Iranian national and 24-year-old Iraqi national were arrested at the car wash on suspicion of committing forced or compulsory labour offences under Section 1 of the Modern Slavery Act.

Three potential victims of modern slavery and labour exploitation were also escued during a raid by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA).

GLAA officers were joined by Merseyside Police and HM Revenue and Customs National Minimum Wage team for the operation on Wednesday, June 30 in Wavertree.

The potential victims, the youngest of whom is in his late teens, with the other two in their 20s, were safeguarded and taken to a reception centre set up for the operation where they received specialist support

Both suspects, who were also arrested for suspected immigration offences, were interviewed by the GLAA before being released under investigation later that day.

GLAA officers also conducted searches of the car wash and addresses of the two suspects.

Information received via the Modern Slavery Helpline earlier in the year combined with the GLAAs own intelligence-gathering indicated that workers at the site were not being paid the National Minimum Wage.

It's also thought they had identification such as birth certificates taken off them and were constantly monitored on-site, suggesting a level of coercion and control.

Hear all the latest news from across Merseyside on the hour, every hour, on 96.7FM, DAB, at radiocity.co.uk, and on the Radio City app.

See the original post:

Two arrested on suspicion of keeping slaves at Liverpool carwash - Free Radio

Modern Day Slavery is present in every area of the UK, with thousands of cases being referred each year.

Officers were joined by a team from the Gangmasters and Labour Authority for a raid at Splash Car Valeting car wash in Picton Road, Wavertree yesterday.

The team arrested two people on suspicion of forced labour and immigration offences.

READ MORE: Boat company in court after dad falls into Mersey and dies

Officers found two people working at the site who they believed were the victims of modern slavery.

A tweet from the Merseyside Police South Liverpool team said these two people had now been protected from such exploitation.

Merseyside drivers were left 'devastated' after the car wash raid, but how can you spot the signs of modern day slavery?

Is there a cash-only policy?

If a car wash only accepts cash, offers no receipt or only the manager handles money, it could be a sign the business is not paying tax and national insurance or paying workers properly.

Its more likely a car wash operating outside of the tax regime will be willing and able to exploit its workers.

Are children working on site?

Although employing children of 13 and above is not illegal, their young age and the low-cost of their labour makes them increasingly vulnerable to exploitation.

Children under the age of 16 are not entitled to the national minimum wage, while those over the age of 16 are covered by the legislation but are only entitled to a wage that is significantly lower than the national minimum wage.

Do workers look fearful?

Workers looking fearful could be a sign of the various methods used to control workers who are being exploited, such as threats, intimidation, physical violence, coercion, debt bondage and withholding wages.

The Liverpool Echo sends newsletters on a wide range of topics - including our daily news bulletin, now going out three times a day.

There are others on what's on, politics, court news, Knowsley, Wirral, and arts & culture, as well as both Liverpool FC and Everton FC.

Signing up is free and it only takes a minute for you to get the biggest stories, sent straight to your inbox.

How to sign up for an Echo Email Update

1) Go to our dedicated newsletter page at this link.

2) Put your email in the box where indicated

3) Tick as many boxes as you like, for each newsletter you want.

4) Press Save changes and that's it!

Do workers have access to suitable clothing?

Health and safety regulations require employers to take practical steps to reduce the risk of harm to their workers, which includes providing protective clothing such as gloves, boots and overalls.

Some hand car washes use harmful chemicals such as hydrochloric acid when washing vehicles.

No protective equipment could be a sign that employers are in breach of health and safety rules.

Are there signs workers are living on the car wash site?

A report on the nature of exploitation in the hand car wash sector found that its not uncommon for workers to be living on the car wash site in accommodation provided by the employer.

Signs such as containers, caravans, bedding and mattresses, which indicate that workers were living on the car wash site.

Here is the original post:

Key signs to look out for when getting your car washed to avoid funding crime - Liverpool Echo