The Unfree GDP (Blog 4) 10/7/2011

Source:  http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=108&subid=900003&contentid=255055

and....http://able2know.org/topic/152857-1 also....http://www1.american.edu/ted/jail.htm
Relation: Robbins Pg. 61

Money is one of the most interesting and pseudo-important dynamics within the American lifestyle. Pseudo, because its importance is based upon the value of  the goods we substitute it for. Together, we contribute to the GDP of our country, a figure primarily measured in dollars. And upon the acquisition of the dollar, we build our industries, which focus on "perpetual growth", the idea that increasing production of different products to meet different demands,(and exporting these products to as many places as possible), will increase the wealth of the industry. (Robbins pg.61) Perpetual growth, however, isn't easy to achieve, and the externalized costs that arise as a result, grow with the industry. A good example of these concepts is the prisoner-furniture companies, fast growing on American soil.

The prison industry is producing over 2.4 billion dollars worth of products each year. And because the laborers are payed very low wages (usually 21 cents an hour), the cost of production is very low. One large chunk of the products manufactured in prisons is the production of furniture. Prison furniture is all over the place these days. Even the chair I'm sitting in now has the San Quentin seal stamped into the wood underneath the seat. Raw materials are shipped in to different branches of prison factories every day. The laborers assemble the products, test them, and then package them for transportation. The various chairs, dressers, etc. will then be shipped worldwide, to increase customer base and secure revenue. This is typical of an industry, and looks all fine and dandy on the surface, but what of the externalized costs? 

The typical prison factory worker is protected by a human rights inspector. A single person is usually in charge of protecting the rights of hundreds of workers. Its easy to see how some workers fall through the cracks, and end up never being helped when they need it. Back problems and lung disease are common in prison factories, which lead to a myriad of health costs. Post-Parole, an ex-con could have thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of medical costs. Also, while prison made furniture is inspected, it is not given the thorough look-over that legitimate factories try to incorporate into the manufacturing process. Shoddy furniture can lead to injuries, and the cost of replacement. Finally, a prisoner making twenty cents an hour is saving a business owner a lot more money than a free man who works for minimum wage. That could be considered a cost to the private sector, which are in essence losing jobs to men who lost their freedom. Morally, this is all very debatable, but from an economic standpoint, prison labor both helps and hurts the GDP.