WVXU: Incarcerated workers should be taxed
UC Law professor discusses labor, taxation and benefits for incarcerated workers
How should incarcerated workers be compensated and should their wages be taxed are two questions UC Law professor Stephanie McMahon tackled during a recent segment of Cincinnati Edition on WVXU.
McMahon says there is plenty of debate about whether the 13th amendment which prohibits slavery should allow prison inmates to be forced to work. The language says they can be required to work but it is often in contradiction to what some people expect and some state constitutions. Of the 1.2 million people incarcerated in the U.S. two out of three are workers, reports the American Civil Liberties Union.
A 2022 ACLU study also found that incarcerated workers get between 13 cents and 52 cents per hour for their labor and that the government still takes up to 80% of their wages for room, board, legal costs and other expenses. McMahon argues that incarcerated workers should be fairly compensated and then taxed so they can earn access to the nation’s social safety net, which includes social security, the earned income tax credit and other benefits. She explores this topic in her article Prison Work is Taxing and Should be Taxed.
McMahon is joined by Jennifer Turner, principal human rights researcher at the ACLU, and LaToya Bell, deputy director of the Ohio Justice & Policy Center.
Listen to the WVXU broadcast online.
Learn more about the work of Dr. Stephanie McMahon online.
Featured image courtesy of Unsplash.
Related Stories
State Department Delegation For Discussion On Foreign Policy
February 18, 2002
In what was billed as the most important delegation of the year in the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Program, a group of 21 representatives from some of the world's most conflict-ridden regions participated in a special human rights program at the College of Law on Feb. 15
PROFILE: Co-op Winner Seeks New Homes for Reptilian Roomies
November 10, 2002
Co-oping has been nothing but good news for UC Honors-PLUS senior Zach Osborne. It's proving to be not quite as auspicious for the 11 reptiles he keeps as pets.
Bono, Chris Tucker Visit UC To Discuss Africa
December 5, 2002
U2's Bono and comedian-actor Chris Tucker led a delegation from the DATA organization who came to UC to talk about potentially catastrophic problems in Africa.