[iglio]

Just for completeness, the US has its own flavor of issues here in its prison system.

Just 23¢ to $1.15 is the typical hourly pay [1], and work is not always voluntary and up to the same employee protection/safety standards as true employment [2].

Labour sourced from the incarcerated creates problematic incentives in law enforcement.

[1] https://www.bop.gov/inmates/custody_and_care/unicor_about.js...

[2] https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_document/2022...

[enkid]

This is true, and one of the great tragedies of modern US society, but doesn't lessen the immorality of what China is doing.

[philwelch]

If someone actually commits a serious felony—murder, rape, car theft, aggravated assault—I think they should be sentenced to forced labor.

[psd1]

Forced labour means profit for someone. That is far too close to slavery to avoid major value clash, so it will hide itself to present a respectable face. Corruption is inevitable. You'll end up with judges sentencing children for profit. Off to the new world in fetters. As the setting for a novel, I'm convinced.