American Cancer Society uses convict labor

American Cancer Society uses convict labor
By Terry Lynch

American Cancer Society uses forced convict labor to make luminaries in Quitman, Mississippi. The identities of those individuals making the luminaries has been concealed with "blue dots" so as to protect their privacy. PHOTO © 2010 by Terry Lynch

The American Cancer Society is using convict labor in its Relay for Life preparations at a fund raiser in Quitman, Mississippi. On May 14, 2010 a visit to the old Mill Warehouse located at the south end of town in Quitman, revealed that non-punitive convict labor under the watching eyes of armed guards was being used in preparations for the Clarke County Relay for Life, an annual fund raising event which is sponsored by the American Cancer Society.

Verlynn Robinson, Event Chairperson, said that with the poor economy times were hard for everyone, but she did not mention just how hard they were for the American Cancer Society, which is now utilizing non-punitive convict labor in preparation for its fund raising events. Convicts were observed preparing "luminaries" which are memorial tributes to the victims of cancer. The convicts were standing around a container of sand filling paper bags. Each paper bag had the name of someone's most dearly departed loved one who had died from cancer. A short distance away an armed guard sat, firearm strapped to his waistline, at the entrance to the old Mill Warehouse. No one was going to escape from this Relay for Life!

Robinson said this years goal was to raise $105,000.00 by August 1st. Yet times were hard and they were way behind schedule with donations. So far they had raised only about $55,000.00. Hopefully that amount will rise after the Clarke County Relay for Life, and certainly the usage of non-punitive convict labor makes things a little easier and cheaper. Apparently such non-punitive labor is viewed as giving inmates the opportunity to rehibilitate themselves or make a positive contribution to the community through their labor; hence, this years Clarke County Relay for Life in Quitman employed such non-punitive convict labor in its preparation.

ADDENDUM: Sometime after this article was initially published on-line I received an email from the Mayor of Quitman objecting to my usage of the term "forced" convict labor. Mayor Eddie Fulton politely informed me that this terminology was not "factual" as prisoners who "volunteered" to work were given an extra meal at the end of the day, instead of their normal two meals, and that this also helped work off their fines. Mr. Fulton said, "Prisoners have a choice! They are fed twice a day, but if they volunteer to work they get another meal and the freedom of being outside prison walls. Several prisoners have outstanding fines and have asked the Court to let them work outside to pay off their fines. Many prisoners want to be outside and jump at the chance to work." So enlightened, I decided to replace "forced" convict labor with the term "non-punitive" convict labor, given that term has been widely used for convict labor which may serve some beneficial or rehalibative purpose.

Looking around I saw that the walking course was well on its way to being completed. Those convicts were doing a very good job, filling the luminaries and setting them around the walking course. Tomorrow teams would come and the public would enter the old Mill Warehouse and walk around the course, paying tribute to cancer victims. Cancer survivors would be wearing T-shirts to identify them as survivors. I wondered if it was generally known that the American Cancer Society was now using non-punitive convict labor to prepare the memorial tributes to dearly departed souls, those who have become victims of this terrible disease?

As I looked around the old Mill Warehouse I notices a large photograph of Elvis Presley -- at least it looked like Elvis. Apparently the entertainment scheduled for this years Clarke County Relay for Life tomorrow included the appearance of Shane Tucker, an Elvis impersonator from Foley, Alabama. As I watched the convicts fill the luminaries with sand, laboring in the heat of the old Mill Warehouse, sounds of "Jail House Rock" came to mind. I wondered what Elvis might think and if the Elvis impersonator would be playing that classic tune on the 'morrow when the public gathered to walk around and around the course of luminaries, each flickering with candles lit and spirits of loved ones lost to cancer remembered by those gathered. Yet did anyone even realize non-punitive convict labor was used to to make those luminaries?

I thought that the American Cancer Society was a well funded, large organization, supported by the general public which wanted to find a cure for cancer. I did not know that the American Cancer Society endorsed using non-punitive convict labor in its Relay for Life fund raising events. I certainly was not aware of the fact that in these "hard for everyone" economic times force convict labor was used to make the luminaries. Somehow learning this fact made me wonder why those luminaries could not be made by volunteers, by everyone who wanted to help freely and give of their time to freely help the American Cancer Society. Why was it necessary to resort to non-punitive convict labor to make luminaries? In fact, the more I think about it I am quite disturbed by the fact that people do not care enough to lend a hand to the local Clarke County Relay for Life, that volunteers might be making those luminaries, instead of convicted criminals!

It was hot in the old Mill Warehouse, a huge steel building which use to house a machinery for making fabric. But the mill had closed down and was now empty, as are many old cotton mills in the deep south, the cost of labor simply being too high such that many of the textiles which we now buy in America are produced off shore in nations like India, China, Singapore and the Philippines. Now the old Mill Warehouse lies silent and the only reason this year's Clarke County Relay for Life is being held there is because bad weather caused it to be cancelled and moved indoors, the large size of the old Mill Warehouse and the fact that the building was vacant and had plenty of parking space, making it the perfect location for the Clarke County Relay for Life.

The convicts making the luminaries were wearing white T-shirts and bright orange, neon colored pants, which made them stand out among everyone else as they filled the paper bags with sand. I had seen convicts working around Quitman before; this was quite common given Quitman is the Clarke County seat. Both the Clarke County Courthouse and the Clarke County Correctional Office or jailhouse are located in Quitman. So it was not unusual to see non-punitive convict labor being used on public projects and public highways. Often non-punitive convict labor is used to clean up litter and debris along highways, in public parks, or do other manual labor work on public property. On one occasion I even saw a labor force of bright orange appareled convicts working upon the Clarke County Courthouse roof. But I was not aware of the fact that non-punitive convict labor could legally be used by the American Cancer Society to prepare luminaries. The American Cancer Society is a nonprofit organization; it is not a State of Mississippi agency. How can non-punitive convict labor be used by a nonprofit organization, even in these hard economic times, without this being a violation of the law?

I suppose things are done a little different in Quitman. After all Quitman is a small rural town and hard economic times means sky rocketed unemployment such that everyone who might volunteer is struggling to survive and feed their own families. Who would even notice if a few convicts are taken over to the old Mill Warehouse and used to make luminaries for the American Cancer Society? Plus it is for a very good cause. Certainly the convicts themselves may benefit from being put to work to support this very good cause. Reading the "Crime Report" every week in the Clarke County Tribune I see these convicts are not exactly model citizens. There are arrest reports for possession of marijuana, alcohol, disorderly conduct, trespassing, robbery, assaults, and sometimes even worse offenses -- which probably land those convicted in a state correctional institute. But those who have not killed someone or committed some other really terrible crime end up in the Clarke County jailhouse and are often seen around town under the watchful eye of an armed guard as they clean up litter or contribute their labor to other public work projects. I just did not know that now the American Cancer Society was so hard pressed for volunteers that it was using non-punitive convict labor!

Obviously the need for money is great and in these hard economic times there is simply not enough money to support all those vital causes such that now the American Cancer Society is having to resort to non-punitive convict labor to prepare its fund raising events. If nothing else this sad situation should make everyone realize how important it is that they make a contribution to the American Cancer Society. God only knows if Clarke County Relay for Life Committees are using non-punitive convict labor to make luminaries, they are in desperate need of contributions!

Convicts collect garbage during Relay for Life

I was rather disappointed to see that on the day of the event, the Clarke County Relay for Live using non-punitive convict labor to mingle among the public and collect garbage. At least the convicts were dressed in their bright neon orange suits; they stood out like Jock-o-lanterns on the Forth of July -- totally inappropriate viewing for a family audience! Perhaps you don't agree and think that having convicts do their time for whatever crime they committed at a cancer fund raiser like the Clarke County Relay for Life is a wonderful and bright idea. But quite frankly I disagree. Whoever made this call it was a bad idea, and even the best of coaches can sometimes make bad calls.

Even if you don't agree and think its perfectly appropriate and safe for convicts to be put to work making luminaries the day before the Clarke County Relay for Life, consider a worse case scenario. What could happen if these convicts decided to gang up, take a weapon from a guard and reek havoc! The consequences could be tragic!

But lets just say the issue is using non-punitive convict labor to make luminaries. Is that appropriate? I think not. As soon as convict labor is used to make luminaries it is no longer "the Lord's work," as Peggie said she was doing, but something else akin to being crucified.

We must remember that crucifixion was a form of capital punishment as is the use of convict labor. When convicts do work they are always under the watchful eyes of armed guards and constitute a form of non-punitive labor, for when anyone is watching over you with a gun, it is not volunteer service that you do.

Therefore I question the ethics and the good sense of using non-punitive convict labor at the Clarke County Relay for Life, especially in the making of luminaries or memorial tributes to those who have died in their fight against cancer. It tarnishes the memories of loved ones when non-punitive convict labor is used to make luminaries.

Plus there is a big problem with having convicts at a public, family oriented event, like the Clarke County Relay for Life where there are children. Convicts are not the type of people you want to be around children as it would only take one convict flipping out and going berserk to injure or kill a child. Even the remote possibility that such a terrible thing might ever happen at the Clarke County Relay for Life should not even be something people have to worry about as convicts, convicted criminals, dressed in bright orange Jack-o-lantern apparel should NOT be present at the Clarke County Relay for Life whether they are those collecting garbage or making luminaries.

It is a very bad idea to have groups of convicts working at a family oriented event like the Clarke County Chamber of Commerce. A gang of two to four convicts could easily take a child hostage, get a knife or gun from a guard or member of the public, and as a gang cause hurt, harm, injury or even loss of life at the Clarke County Relay for Life. It simply is not a very smart idea to be using non-punitive convict labor at the Clarke County Relay for Life. Even if law enforcement is present, if discharge of a firearm did become necessary at such a crowded pubic event, it could easily hurt, harm or kill someone.

I therefore question if it is wise to use convict labor under the supervision of armed guards at the Clarke County Relay for Life or other public fund raising events where children are present. I would urge those who don't see anything wrong with this practice to please reconsider this matter taking into consideration a worse case scenario. You are putting the general public at risk and in danger anytime you use groups of convicts to do non-punitive labor at a public event such as the Clarke County Relay for Life. Please cease and desist the use of convict labor at the Clarke County Relay for life and in the future let the many eager and willing volunteers from the community do all the work associated with this great and worth cause!

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