6. Convict Leasing and Prison Labor
After the abolition of slavery, Southern states quickly implemented convict leasing systems that used the police and courts to funnel Black Americans into forced labor. Minor offenses often led to harsh sentences, with prisoners leased out to private companies for grueling, unpaid work. This system effectively continued the exploitation of Black labor under a new guise, as described by The New York Times. Many historians see convict leasing as a direct extension of slavery, enabled and enforced by policing.
