4. Jim Crow and the Expansion of Penal Labor
Under the harsh regime of Jim Crow laws, racial segregation was legally enforced, and Black Americans faced relentless criminalization for minor or fabricated offenses. These discriminatory laws funneled thousands into the prison labor system, echoing earlier forced labor practices but under a new legal guise. Prison farms and chain gangs became symbols of this era’s brutality. For a detailed look at Jim Crow’s impact on Black communities, visit the NAACP.
