At TPI, some of the people we work with in the prisons are advocates in a variety of ways. Our correspondent Courtney Sargent participated in research by The Marshall Project related to prison economies. In Texas and five other states (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina), incarcerated persons like Courtney earn $0 for performing work in prison. That means folks who don’t have financial support networks on the outside have to hustle to get food and clothing and other necessities like hygiene beyond the minimal necessities provided by the state.
My family and friends send me money and food packages. If not for that, I’d starve. They don’t feed us very well. For example, today’s breakfast was a boiled egg and a peanut butter sandwich. Lunch was one small bean burrito, beans and corn. Dinner was a baloney sandwich, applesauce, overcooked vegetables. For a grown working man, this is not enough. On weekends, there are only two meals a day: breakfast and dinner. For people who have no family or friends, it is heartbreaking.
— Courtney Sargeant
You can read the full article, or jump to the segment based on Courtney’s experience here.
