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First a few facts. More than 2.3 million Americans are in prison and over 50% in federal lock-up are there for drug offenses. Of the 9% of prisoners who are women, 75% have histories of severe physical abuse by partners and 82% suffered serious physical or sexual abuse as girls. They are disproportionately black. Some prisoners work, especially in federal penitentiaries, and they can be forced to work for minimum or no compensation, as little as 23 cents/hour. For the last few years, some people are trying to create a different model for prison labor, developing a for-profit manufacturing sect
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