Convict leasing
Definition
Convict leasing is a system where private businesses would lease prisoners from the state for labor. This was prevalent in the Southern United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Analogy
Imagine if your school leased out students with bad grades to local businesses as workers until they improved their grades. That’s similar to how convict leasing worked!
Related terms
Slavery: A system where individuals known as slaves are treated as property and forced into labor.
Indentured Servitude: A form of labor in which a person agrees to work without salary for a specific number of years in exchange for passage to a new country or other benefits.
Chain Gangs: Groups of prisoners chained together while performing menial physical tasks such as road work.
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