They thought they were going to rehab. They ended up in chicken plants

[demmiblue]

Source: Reveal News

McGahey had heard of Christian Alcoholics & Addicts in Recovery. People called it “the Chicken Farm,” a rural retreat where defendants stayed for a year, got addiction treatment and learned to live more productive lives. Most were sent there by courts from across Oklahoma and neighboring states, part of the nationwide push to keep nonviolent offenders out of prison.

Aside from daily cans of Dr Pepper, McGahey wasn’t addicted to anything. The judge knew that. But the Chicken Farm sounded better than prison.

A few weeks later, McGahey stood in front of a speeding conveyor belt inside a frigid poultry plant, pulling guts and stray feathers from slaughtered chickens destined for major fast food restaurants and grocery stores.

There wasn’t much substance abuse treatment at CAAIR. It was mostly factory work for one of America’s top poultry companies. If McGahey got hurt or worked too slowly, his bosses threatened him with prison.

And he worked for free. CAAIR pocketed the pay.

“It was a slave camp,” McGahey said. “I can’t believe the court sent me there.”

Soon, it would get worse.

Read more: https://www.revealnews.org/article/they-thought-they-were-going-to-rehab-they-ended-up-in-chicken-plants/?utm_source=Reveal&utm_medium=social_media&utm_campaign=twitter

[Joanie Baloney]

1. Horrific

And all too common. Very easy to ignore.

-JB

[Baitball Blogger]

2. Punish and exploit the sinner.

Sounds like the evangelical Christian method.

[get the red out]

3. This is horrifying

Disgusting.

[stuffmatters]

4. Watch for Sessions to do nothing to prosecute this "Christian" slavery.

I wonder how much money changes hands to support this massive vertical corruption from the arrest, to the judges to the corporate "donations" payoffs to the Republicans in office.

This is slavery and needs to be prosecuted as such.

[Hortensis]

5. Wow, wow, wow! AP/WaPo are reporting based on this Revealnews article, so they find

it credible. Don't know about "surrounding" states, but it was ILLEGAL for Oklahoma's judges to sentence people to CAAIR because it is not certified by the state for rehab.

So, what, 250-350 (?) per year sent to labor in chicken factories since 2007? Why did the involved judges break the law and at what point did it become well known among the judiciaries of several states that they were effectively sentencing men to a form of slavery as unpaid, coerced labor?

Even these days, when media have too much to report, we should expect to be hearing more on this one.

[irisblue]

6. The broadcast/podcast is must listen time for me.

Worth the time to check it out IMO.