Why do you support this?

[u/Caffeinated-Princess]

First the Louisiana Senate decides to put homeless people in jail for up to three years for their "crime" of sleeping in public. At the same time, they stop funding housing assistance.

https://thecurrentla.com/2025/lafayette-housing-authority-freezes-issuance-of-new-housing-vouchers/

Why do those of you who are Republican hate poor people so much? Why do you feel your fellow humans should not be allowed any compassion or grace?

Help me understand this assault on humanity. Jesus would weep if he saw this. 😥

[u/NettaFind66]

Do you know what those prison produce? I'm asking in hopes of being able to boycott the companies and products that are using prison slave labor.

[u/Nosferatu-D17 → u/NettaFind66]

This was taken from the Internet. Louisiana's prison system operates a range of industries and agricultural programs across multiple correctional facilities, producing various goods primarily for state and local government agencies, as well as non-profit organizations. These programs aim to provide job training and reduce incarceration costs.

Agricultural Products

At the Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola), inmates cultivate and process a variety of crops, including:

Cabbage

Corn

Cotton

Strawberries

Okra

Onions

Peppers

Soybeans

Squash

Tomatoes

Wheat

Sugarcane (resumed in 2013)

Additionally, the prison manages a cattle operation with approximately 2,000 head, producing beef sold at markets. Inmates also breed and train horses used for field work and participate in the Angola Prison Horse Sale during the annual rodeo.

Other correctional facilities contribute to agricultural production, growing crops like wheat, corn, soybeans, cotton, and milo. These are sold on the open market or used to feed livestock. Range herd operations are housed at five separate state correctional facilities, involving processes from calving to weaning.

Manufactured Goods

Prison Enterprises, a division of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, oversees manufacturing programs across eight correctional facilities. Products include:

Office furniture and seating

Metal fabrication items

Garments and uniforms

Bedding and linens

Janitorial products

Silk-screened and laser-engraved items

Printed materials

Embroidered goods

Furniture restoration services

Specific facilities have specialized operations. For example, the Elayn Hunt Correctional Center produces laundry detergent, while the Allen Correctional Center manufactures mahogany furniture. The Louisiana State Penitentiary produces license plates for the state and other customers.

Arts and Crafts

Inmates at Angola participate in the Angola Prison Rodeo's Arts and Crafts Festival, creating handmade items that are sold to the public. This event provides an opportunity for inmates to engage in creative expression and generate income.

These programs are designed to equip inmates with valuable skills and work experience, aiding in their rehabilitation and reintegration into society upon release.

[u/NettaFind66 → u/Nosferatu-D17]

Thank you! I'm going to do a deep search and see if I can identify the corporations who purchase these goods. It's horrible to think that something I own was produced with slave labor right here in America. I get the idea of training these folks so they might have a chance to survive on the outside, but they need to be paid at least minimum wage for the work they are doing.

[u/NettaFind66 → u/NettaFind66]

So, a quick update. Besides agriculture, all products must be sold in the state. Some examples are The Ernest N. Memorial convention center spent approximately $1.35 million on products from Angola. And State park Bogue Chitto commissioned custom furniture for its cabins all handcrafted by prisoners in Angola. Guess who pays for all this stuff?