1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

I urge you to introduce legislation to abolish the 13th Amendment loophole that allows involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime. While the federal Constitution still includes this outdated exception, Pennsylvania does not have to uphold or profit from it. Currently, incarcerated individuals across the state are compelled to work under threat of punishment, often for pennies an hour or no pay at all. This practice mirrors the very system the 13th Amendment was meant to abolish. It is exploitative, dehumanizing, and disproportionately impacts Black and Brown communities, who are already overrepresented in our prisons due to systemic inequities. The use of forced labor in prisons is a cornerstone of the prison-industrial complex. Private companies, as well as the state, benefit financially while incarcerated people are stripped of their labor rights and constitutional protections. This is not rehabilitation. This is legalized slavery. Additionally, prison labor conditions often violate the 8th Amendment’s protection against cruel and unusual punishment. Incarcerated workers frequently perform dangerous jobs without proper training, equipment, or safety oversight. When they are injured, they are excluded from the protections and benefits that all other workers receive. This is both unjust and unconstitutional. Several states including Colorado, Utah, Oregon, and Alabama have already moved to close this loophole in their own constitutions. Pennsylvania should follow suit. Ending forced prison labor is not only a moral imperative; it’s a step toward a more humane, equitable, and accountable justice system. Please introduce or support a bill that would amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to explicitly ban involuntary servitude in all circumstances, including incarceration. No person should ever be enslaved…not by wordplay, not by policy, and certainly not by our state.