Government E-Recycling Program Exposes Prison Laborers To Toxins

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/node/14255

Submitted by Doug Cunningham on October 6, 2010 - 3:56pm
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Are inmate laborers and prison workers recklessly being exposed to toxic materials through a government e-recycling program? Jesse Russell take a look.

A new report on the website FairWarning.org reveals that electronic recycling operations at federal prisons have resulted in inmate laborers being exposed to high levels of toxic materials. One of the biggest recycling operations is in Elkton, Ohio where FairWarning report Myron Levin says the U.S. Bureau of Prisons has “paid about $1 million to settle a grievance over hazardous duty pay.” The settlement was paid to prison employees after being reached in October of 2009. The article comes just days before the U.S. Justice Department is expected to release a report that will allege federal prison officials ignored safety precautions. The allegations are being raised at eight federal prisons the use the for-profit government owned corporation Federal Prison Industries. The Bureau of Prisons would not go on record regarding any of the allegations because the matters have been dubbed either pending or confidential.