by John L. Zalusky

About the author: John L. Zalusky is head of the Office of Wages and Industrial Relations of the Department of Economic Research of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).

Over the last two decades there have been numerous proposals to have convicts work at private-sector businesses before release, even to lease convicts to private-sector employers. This is not a new idea. In fact, it revisits one of the most corrupt, shameful, and repugnant periods of America’s past.

For nearly 200 years, prisons were state-government profit centers that made more money than they cost to operate. Greed led to abuses and the abuses to universal revulsion. The corruption of business and state officials was only part of the problem. Convicts were forced to work, which led some prisoners to maim...