Rikers Inmates Sentenced To... Summer Concert Series

Poor Marty Markowitz can't seem to keep his beloved summer concert series at Asser Levy Park controversy-free this year. First they were too loud, and now the Brooklyn Paper reports that the Brooklyn Borough President has been using free labor courtesy of Rikers Island!

Allegedly this has been going on for years, but only recently did locals catch on. The inmates are bussed in, wear red and white striped jumpsuits, and help to set up and break down the chairs for the audience. One Brooklyn local told the paper, "People didn't realize what was going on before. Perhaps it's because they used to use state prisoners, and now they just started using city inmates with colorful uniforms."

A Department of Correction spokesman says "the inmates on the [concert series] assignment are low-security-risk inmates carefully selected for the assignment and carefully monitored while on assignment." And the city says it saves the non-profit running the shows thousands of dollars per event. This Thursday concert-goers, and inmates!, will get to enjoy The B-52s and singer Belinda Carlisle. Not bad, but we'd still trade it for work duty on Hart Island—another location that Rikers inmates are sent on assignment.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in News on August 17, 2010 4:07 PM

Comments [rss]

boogpowell

Its not slavery. Its volunteerism. They give prisoners who have shown some decency a chance to get out and see a concert and all they have to do is help out setting up. Ive volunteered for plenty of things before that I didnt get paid for that I would consider work. Im sure they dont force anyone into doing it. If they tried to force a prisoner, he could just say dont take me or Ill kill everybody. I doubt they would take him after that. Its a win win for the prisoners and the organizers.

bashmentgirl

This is a huge problem for two reasons:

1. Many people who are out of work could have done this and earned some money. Instead, inmates who are not paid were brought in.

2. When a person (an inmate is still a person) is not paid for their labor it is called slavery. Slavery is illegal and immoral.

JC

Yeah last time I checked, Jail & Prisons weren't exactly free to run.

"New York City's Rikers Island, the equivalent of a county jail for the city's five boroughs, houses 20,000 inmates... where the annual cost-per-inmate is an astronomical $58,536, averaging $160 per day."

These are numbers from 10 years ago so don't sit there and bitch about inmates doing free labor, because their room and board damn sure isn't free!

bashmentgirl

you didn't comment on my first reason

bashmentgirl

When someone works for no pay it is called slavery. You can't justify slavery.

ANGRYGOD11

Prisoners do not have to work.

Work is a privilege to make money and get out for awhile.

Those who will not work or deemed to violet/dangerous just won't get the chance.

bashmentgirl

Wow. I hope you're not a person of color. Sorry to say this but you would have been an excellent overseer about 160 years ago.

ANGRYGOD11

It seems you are missing the point: Slaves do not decide if they wish to work or not. Prisoners can make that decision for commissary money and/or time out of a violet, grey prison and see pretty people walk by.