THERE'S ONE THING WE'RE NOT EXPECTING AS PART OF THE STATE BUDGET THIS YEAR.

THAT'S HIGHER WORKER WAGES FOR PEOPLE IN PRISON, WHO SAY THEIR CURRENT PAY IS NOT ENOUGH.

AND THAT'S PROMPTED A BIGGER QUESTION ABOUT WHAT THEY DO AND WHY.

ALEXIS YOUNG HAS THAT STORY.

[ THEME MUSIC ] DURING THE THICK OF THE PANDEMIC, LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN NEW YORK STATE WERE STRUGGLING TO GET THEIR HANDS ON HAND SANITIZER.

IN MARCH 2020, REGULAR BOTTLES OF PURELL HAND SANITIZER HAD SKYROCKETED ON AMAZON AND EBAY AND AFTER REQUESTING AN END TO WHAT THEN-GOVERNOR CUOMO CALLED PRICE GOUGING, HE FOUND A $6.10 PER GALLON SOLUTION, PRISON LABOR.

THE 56TH GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK STATE HAD INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS PRODUCE NEW YORK STATE CLEAN HAND SANITIZER, 1 MILLION BOTTLES OF IT LEAVING AN EXCESS OF 700,000 GALLONS.

INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS MAKE AN HOURLY WAGE BETWEEN 10 AND 65 CENTS IN NEW YORK PRISONS.

SOME ACTIVISTS AND LEGISLATORS REFER TO THE SYSTEM AS FORCED PRISON LABOR OR SLAVE LABOR.

HAD BUT IF YOU SPOKE TO ANY EVERYDAY NEW YORKER AND YOU ASKED THEM WHETHER SLAVERY STILL EXISTS TODAY, THEY WOULD SAY, OF COURSE NOT.

OF COURSE NOT.

WE ARE HUNDREDS OF YEARS PAST THE ENDING OF SLAVERY, BUT WE TODAY IN THIS NEW YORK CONSTITUTION STILL HAVE SLAVERY EMBEDDED IN OUR LAWS.

BUT NOT ALL NEW YORK LAWMAKERS AGREE.

RANKER FOR THE CRIME VICTIMS CRIME AND CORRUPTION SENATE COMMITTEE, SENATOR PATRICK GALLIVAN FROM THE 60TH DISTRICT NEAR ROCHESTER, OPPOSES THE BILL AND DOESN'T RECOGNIZE PRISON LABOR AS FORCED OR SLAVE LABOR.

SO I DON'T AGREE WITH THE PREMISE THAT IT'S, QUOTE, SLAVE LABOR, QUOTE, UNQUOTE.

I THINK IT'S PART OF A PROGRAM, WHILE THEY ARE IN PRISON, THAT'S PART OF A REHABILITATIVE PROCESS, AND AS IT RELATES TO ACTUALLY SPENDING TIME IN A WORK ASSIGNMENT, IT'S DOING SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE.

ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICES OR DOCCS, CORRECTION LAW STATES THAT INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS BE ENROLLED IN TREATMENT PROGRAMS AND WORK ASSIGNMENTS.

THAT WORK MAKES INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS EMPLOYEES AT CORECRAFT, A COMPANY DESCRIBED AS THE BRAND NAME FOR THE DIVISION OF CORRECTIONAL INDUSTRIES WITHIN DOCCS.

CORECRAFT IS A NEW YORK STATE PREFERRED SOURCE, MEANING THE COMPANY CONTRACTS WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO PROVIDE THINGS LIKE OFFICE SUPPLIES, ROAD SIGNS, CALL CENTER SERVICES AND MORE.

ACCORDING TO THE CORECRAFT WEBSITE, THE GOAL IS TO EMPLOY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS TO PRODUCE GOODS WHILE PREPARING THEM FOR RELEASE BY TEACHING THEM WORK STILL SKILLS, WORK ETHIC AND RESPONSIBILITY.

THE BILL TEXT FOR THE PRISON MINIMUM WAGE ACT SAYS THOSE CONTRACTS ARE A MONOPOLY IN THE MUNICIPAL INSTITUTION MARKET AND GOES ON TO ADDRESS A CONNECTION BETWEEN SLAVERY AND PRISON LABOR LAW.

IN THE ASSEMBLY, THE PRISON MINIMUM WAGE ACT IS SPONSORED BY ASSEMBLY MEMBER HARVEY EPSTEIN OF DISTRICT 74.

WE SEE THIS THROUGHOUT NEW YORK.

YOU SEE IT WHEN YOU WALK THE HALLS, IN THE DESKS WE SIT AT, IN THE CHAIRS WE SIT IN, IN THE HAND SANITIZER WE'RE USING.

OUR GOVERNMENT IS ABUSING NEW YORKERS, ALLOWING SLAVE LABOR AND INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE FOR INCARCERATED PEOPLE.

SLAVERY WAS ABOLISHED WITH THE 1863 EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION AND CONSTITUTIONALLY BY THE 13TH AMENDMENT IN 1865, BUT THERE'S A CAVEAT.

SECTION 1 OF THE 13TH AMENDMENT STATES NEITHER SLAVERY NOR INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE, EXCEPT AS A PUNISHMENT OF CRIME WHERE THE PARTY SHALL BE DULY CONVICTED SHALL EXIST WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OR ANY PLACE SUBJECT TO THE JURISDICTION.

BILL SPONSORS SAY THAT EXCEPTION MEANS NEW YORK IS CONTINUING TO PROFIT UNFAIRLY FROM THE WORK OF INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS.

LATIF SHAMSUDDIN SPENT HIS DAYS INSIDE GREEN CORRECTIONAL FACILITY SINCE 2017 BETWEEN HIS TWO JOBS AS A PORTER OR CUSTODIAN IN THE DORMS AND AN IPA, OR TEACHER'S ASSISTANT, HE SAYS HE EARNS AROUND $3 EVERY TWO WEEKS.

IT'S LIKE $3 EVERY COMMISSARY AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE ONE OF THE TOP PAYING JOBS BECAUSE YOU'RE WORKING WITH, YOU KNOW, CIVILIAN, HAND IN HAND.

SO I'M NOT SEEING ANY OF THAT.

IT CAN BE DOCKED FOR GATE MONEY.

IF YOU HAVE CHILD SUPPORT, THAT TAPS INTO THAT AS WELL SO BASICALLY LEAVES WITH YOU KNOTTING AND THAT'S THE SITUATION I'M IN.

SHAMSUDDIN SAYS WAGES CAN ALSO BE DOCKED FOR RESTITUTION AND FINES LIKE DAMAGING STATE PROPERTY FEES.

ROSEMARY RIVERA, THE CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CITIZEN ACTION OF NEW YORK AND THE PUBLIC POLICY AND EDUCATION FUND, WAS INCARCERATED IN THE '80S.

DURING HER TIME INSIDE, SHE CAUGHT A CHARGE FOR DAMAGING STATE PROPERTY, HER SKIN.

ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF SLAVERY IS THE BELIEF THAT THE PERSON ENSLAVED IS NOT A PERSON BUT THE PROPERTY OF THE SLAVE MASTER.

IT IS ENGRAINED IN MY BRAIN THAT I COULD BE WRITTEN UP OR END UP IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT BECAUSE I GOT A SUNBURN.

I'M A REAL LIGHT-SKINNED PUERTO RICAN.

YOU SET ME IN THAT YARD FOR WHILE, I'M GONNA GET SOME SUN.

THE CHARGE THAT I GOT WAS DAMAGING STATE PROPERTY.

THERE ARE ADDITIONAL BILLS THAT ATTEMPT TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR FOLKS LIVING INSIDE PRISONS.

THE BILL THAT WOULD CREATE A PRISON LABOR BOARD WAS INTRODUCED BY SENATOR MYRIE LAST SESSION.

S.614A WOULD CREATE AND MONITOR EQUITABLE WORKING ENVIRONMENTS FOR INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS.

SENATOR GALLIVAN SAID THE BILL-- IMPLIES THAT CONDITIONS ARE INHUMANE AND THE WORKING CONDITIONS ARE POOR.

IT SHOULDN'T BE THE CASE, IF THAT IS TRUE.

I THINK WE TO HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO ENSURE THAT THERE ARE HUMANE CONDITIONS.

THERE'S A COMMISSION OF CORRECTION WHO HAS OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES.

ON THE PRISON MINIMUM WAGE ACT, THE SENATOR SAID IF WAGES ARE RAISED FOR INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS, IT SHOULD RELIEVE NEW YORK STATE TAXPAYERS OF CERTAIN COSTS.

PRISONS ESPECIALLY HERE IN NEW YORK STATE SHOULD INCLUDE A REHABILITATION PROCESS, BUT TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING FOR ROOM.

THEY'RE PAYING FOR BOARD.

THEY'RE PAYING FOR MEDICAL SERVICES, VOCATIONAL SERVICES, EDUCATIONAL SERVICE IS VERY... PROGRAMMATIC ISSUES, LIKE ANGER MANAGEMENT.

ASSEMBLY MEMBER PHIL PALMESANO SERVES THE 132ND ASSEMBLY DISTRICT.

THE ASSEMBLYMAN AGREES WITH SENATOR GALLIVAN.

HE MAINTAINS THAT PRISON LABOR IS NOT SLAVE LABOR AND ANY INCREASE IN WAGES SHOULD BE AWARDED TO CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS NOT INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS.

FRANKLY, I THINK IF WE DID ASK THE TAXPAYERS FOR ANYTHING MORE, I THINK WE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR INCREASE IN WAGES FOR CORRECTIONS OFFICERS.

THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THE WAGES IN THE CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES IS NOT ABOUT THE WAGES.

IT'S ABOUT PREPARING THEM FOR EMPLOYMENT.

I MEAN, IT'S WELL DOCUMENTED.

THERE'S A CLEAR CORRELATION.

THE BILL WOULD ALSO COST THE STATE MONEY.

THOUGH SUPPORTERS DIDN'T SAY HOW MUCH WHEN ASKED, A COST ESTIMATE IS NOT INCLUDED AS PART OF THE BILL.

SOME OF ASSEMBLY MEMBER PALMESANO'S COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE AISLE FEEL DIFFERENTLY AND THE BILL THAT WOULD ENACT THE PRISON MINIMUM WAGE ACT IS CURRENTLY IN COMMITTEE WHERE IT HAS DIED IN PREVIOUS YEARS.

IN THE NEW YORK STATE CAPITOL FOR "NEW YORK NOW," ALEXIS YOUNG.

[ THEME MUSIC ] AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION, WHICH OVERSEES STATE PRISONS DECLINED TO COMMENT ON THAT BILL.