Link Uncovered, Between Forced Prison Labor , and Popular Food Brands, AP Reports.<br />A former slave plantation in Louisiana that is now <br />the nation's largest maximum-security prison <br />reportedly plays a hidden role in the U.S. food chain.<br />Associated Press reports that men imprisoned at the<br />Louisiana State Penitentiary are sentenced to hard, <br />forced labor, often for pennies an hour or nothing at all.<br />A two-year AP investigation revealed a hidden network <br />that links forced, prison labor with the world's <br />largest food manufacturers and popular brands.<br />A two-year AP investigation revealed a hidden network <br />that links forced, prison labor with the world's <br />largest food manufacturers and popular brands.<br />The investigation revealed that prison workers who <br />refuse work can lose their chance for parole or <br />face punishments that include solitary confinement.<br />Prison workers are also often excluded from protections <br />granted to nearly all other full-time workers, including <br />those regarding serious injuries or deaths on the job.<br />AP reports that goods produced by prisoners were found in <br />common household products, including Frosted Flakes <br />cereal, Ball Park hot dogs, Coca-Cola and Gold Medal flour.<br />AP reports that goods produced by prisoners were found in <br />common household products, including Frosted Flakes <br />cereal, Ball Park hot dogs, Coca-Cola and Gold Medal flour.<br />Products connected with prison labor can reportedly<br />be found on major supermarket shelves, <br />including at Kroger, Target, Aldi and Whole Foods.<br />The 13th Amendment of the Constitution <br />prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude, <br />except when it is a punishment for a crime.<br />The clause that permits forced prison labor has been <br />challenged at a federal level and efforts are underway <br />to remove similar language from state constitutions.<br />AP reports that some prisoners in Louisiana, with one of <br />the highest U.S. incarceration rates, are working on the <br />same plantation soil where slaves toiled over 150 years ago.
