I worked at a place that shipped furniture kits to inmates in the 1990s. They shipped large amounts of furniture kits to inmates who would then assemble and finish the products. We were one of numerous businesses doing this.

This has not decreased.

In fact it has increased. These days the joke or saying that "there is an app for that" could easily be replaced with "there is an inmate for that". I want to shout out to my friend @kaptainkrayola who patiently listened to me rant about this in slack and then he said it was kind of like saying "There is an app for that". His statement was my inspiration for this post.

I've written about this subject before, but I believe it is a very important subject and is largely OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND for most of the population.

I go into quite a bit more detail in the post above if you wish to really deep dive into this subject.

It is especially true with this Make America Great Again movement and the idea of bringing jobs back to the United States. It is true that many jobs left the United States. Yet, many of them never left. They just are not available to non-criminal citizens anymore, because inmates are doing that work. The amount of jobs and services being taken over by inmates is steadily increasing. I've been watching it happen for decades now. I even have my own personal label for it. I call it INSOURCING as in Inmate Sourcing as my counterpoint to the label OUTSOURCING.

If you spent a lot of time in shop and are really good at making furniture and you would like to go into business making furniture, my advice. Don't bother. Unless you are willing to make commission only pieces that are custom built with a lot of detail where each piece is very unique and designed to fit specific needs of a client that can afford such services don't bother. Inmates have been mass producing all kinds of furniture of high quality for decades now. They make a wage that is unbelievably low. You cannot compete with them anymore than a clothing manufacturer in the U.S. can compete with the sweatshop in another country.

Prison Industrial Complex

Have you often wondered why we have so many victim-less crimes? Have you ever wondered why a victim-less criminal might get more time than a violent criminal?

Which one do you think makes a better slave? Which one is less likely to fight back? Which one is less likely to damage your other slaves?

Have you ever wondered why the Federal Government makes things like CBD Oil which has no psychoactive properties a Schedule 1 Drug?

Using this thing eats into the Big Pharma Lobbyists pockets. Using it violates their patent (Federal Government Holds it) for the medical properties of such oil (Even though to be schedule 1 there is supposed to be no medical value). Keeping such things illegal makes it possible to collude with people that supply it and get another source of "black" funding that did not require taxation and thus is untraceable.

But most importantly... it is an excellent way to get more slaves. With that said the United States actually has the most slaves in the world, and is actively acquiring more.

So next time you are thinking of starting up your new great business idea... keep in mind...

There is a Con for that.

Steem On!