Georgia governor suggests ex-convicts replace immigrants as farm workers

The Washington Independent ^ | 06.15.11 | Nicolas Mendoza

[arderkrag]

On Tuesday, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal released the results of a survey that he had requested from the state agriculture commissioner on farm labor shortages in Georgia. The survey found that there are approximately 11,080 unfilled farm jobs in the state.

In response to the report, Deal suggested that people who are on criminal probation could fill the job openings: “There are 100,000 probationers statewide, 8,000 of which are in the Southwest region of the state and 25 percent of which are unemployed.” According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, although probationers in Georgia are required to find employment if possible, state officials cannot compel them to take one particular job over another.

The director of the American Probation and Parole Association told Bloomberg that the temporary nature of agricultural work makes it unsuitable for people on criminal probation who need to rebuild their lives in a more permanent job. He compared Deal’s suggestion to the “work farms” of the past, when convicts could be sentenced to hard labor in the fields.

[Girlene]

the Confederacy was illustration enough that forced labor was not a good economic model. Now, all that said, having prisoners perform actual work may be worthwhile; just don't expect it to replace what we call the "free" market for good reason.

If I read the article correctly, this is not forced labor. These are people on probation, not in prison or jail. They are free (except for being on probation). It is a "free" market solution. The governor was suggesting farm labor jobs for people who are legal but have a history which might preclude them from being hired at a lot of jobs. Would it be better for farmers to hire someone they know is breaking the law at the time (illegals) vs someone who broke the law in the past but is currently conforming to the law?

[sheana]

I don’t know about other places but California still uses prisoners on hot shot crews to fight watershed fires. Year after year hubby had the same prisoners working for him on his crew....and they worked.
They got paid for it (very little) and they got out of the prison for awhile. There were qualifications they had to meet and they knew if they ever screwed up the nice gig was over. Hubby says they jumped through hoops for him.

[cripplecreek]

When I was a paint room foreman I had a bunch of parolees from a halfway house working for me. They worked out just fine. Always willing to work any overtime I could give them and almost no absences from any of them.

[PAR35]

Go back to the old convict lease system, where the farmers paid the state, and were responsible for guarding and feeding the prisoners working on their farm.

[ExTxMarine]

This is how MOST of the states financed their prison systems! Here in Texas, we did that for YEARS! You wanna eat? You need to have a job somewhere in the prison system!

Then, local ACLU-type lawyers filed lawsuits about “slave labor” and the prison system simply stopped using prisoners as the primary labor force! It was stupid then, it is stupid now, and it will continue to be stupid!

But, it makes sense: we should definitely NOT force prisoners to work for their room, board, food and recreations - I mean, those type requires are for those “free” people (pun intended) who work 40+ hours a week to pay for their own room, board, food and recreations! Oh, and all of that for the prisoners with their taxes! Sorry, but the thought of it all makes me want to PUKE!!!

[Psalm 144]

Farmers, ranchers, contractors, landscapers, restaurateurs and factory owners.

[goodnesswins]

In Oregon I hear they are hiring crew chiefs for firefighters...and they HAVE to speak Spanish....what’s that tell ya!?

[Almondjoy]

Replace cheap labor with another form of cheap labor. Have prisoners do it for free as a result of their debt to society. Instead of the farms waging wages they can pay the state to watch over the inmates.

[arderkrag]

Though I don't support illegal-immigrant labor, the Confederacy was illustration enough that forced labor was not a good economic model.

The Old South's economic model was highly effective. The fact that we fought for several years outnumbered, outgunned and outflanked, and yet were winning for a good portion of the war, is more than proof enough of that.