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Nationwide, states are taking the end of prison slavery seriously. Since 2018, eight states, including Alabama and Tennessee, have removed slavery clauses from their constitutions. Minnesota can be the first state to create a more prosperous and equitable future by paying incarcerated workers fair wages and extending them basic employee protections.
In 2023, Senator Champion and Representative Pinto introduced a bill that would eliminate the slavery clause in Minnesota’s constitution, prohibiting slavery or involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime. In addition, the Bill to End Slavery in Minnesota, authored by state Senator Oumou-Verbeten and Representative Frazier, would end slavery in practice: reclassifying people in prison as employees, ending forced labor while ensuring minimum wage and basic employee protections. The legislation also outlines how wages will be disbursed (including savings accounts for workers) and creates an implementation taskforce.