During the Covid-19 pandemic, it was widely reported that incarcerated people in New York were working to make hand sanitiser and coffins. Criminal justice advocates in the state noted that such work was considered ‘slave labour’, but the full extent of the work wasn’t known at the time.
Investigative news outlet, The Intercept, recently revealed that people incarcerated in state-operated prisons also completed asbestos abatement work and removing hazardous materials, including lead paint.
In a statement to The Intercept, Department of Corrections spokesperson Thomas Mailey said that incarcerated people working in the asbestos abatement programs were training for their release, and the tasks completed were done following federal workplace safety guidelines.
“In delivering such programs, the Department must recognize the right of every individual to receive humane treatment and to have their health and safety protected,” Mailey said.
According to the New York Department of Corrections, “participants in the Abatement Services Program acquire all aspects of asbestos, lead, mould and other hazardous materials abatement procedures utilizing standard industry methods, including EPA, OSHA and NYS requirements. Participants are instructed in the proper use of personal safety equipment along with utilizing tools associated with the trade.”
It is noted that participants must submit to and pass a Pulmonary Function test in addition to attending a four-day certification class and pass a written test on safety standards and practices.
However, the Legal Aid Society, which reported on prison labour earlier this year noted that, “We see higher rates of incarceration in Black and Latinx communities across the state thus forcing more Black and Latinx workers into unsafe and unfair prison labor.”