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directed that each iron gang could contain up to 60 men, supervised by one main overseer and three assistants. The iron gangs "received the worst and least trustworthy characters, together with the strictest security measures". Better-behaved convicts still worked in gangs but were unshackled.
300:
This form of restraint is most often used on prisoners expected to be violent, or prisoners appearing in a setting where they may be near the public (a courthouse) or have an opportunity to flee (being transferred from a prison to a court). Although prisoners in these restraints are sometimes
544:, critical of this move, said, "Chain gangs send a bad message about our county", adding "I don't think people want to come to this county as a tourist or a beach person and see people in chains." Instead he proposed a better use of law enforcement resources would be to combat
491:, said, "They realized that chaining them together was inefficient; that it was unsafe". Alabama Prison Commissioner Ron Jones was fired in 1996 for trying to put female prisoners on chain gangs. However, as late as 2000, Jones had proposed reintroducing the chain gang.
275:) and shaven heads served the purpose of displaying their punishment to the public, as well as making them identifiable if they attempted to escape. However, the public was often brutal, swearing at convicts and even throwing things at them.
414:, and then attached to a single "gang chain" to allow for control by an overseer. The irons and chains could weigh as much as 4.5 kilograms (9.9 lb) or more. Some of the convicts on iron gangs were as young as 11 years old.
324:
societal restitution for the cost of housing, feeding, and guarding the inmates. The money earned by work performed goes to offset prison expenses by providing a large workforce at no cost for government projects, and at minimal
533:(a British far-right political organization) want to re-introduce chain gangs "to provide labour for national public works". This is part of their aim to turn prisons from "cosy holiday camps" into "a place of hard labour".
457:
The use of chain gangs for prison labor was the preferred method of punishment in some
Southern states like Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama.
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chained to one another during transport or other movement, this is not a chain gang—although reporters may refer to it as such—because the restraints make any kind of manual work impossible.
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The use of chains could be hazardous. Some of the chains used in the
Georgia system in the first half of the 20th century weighed 20 pounds (9 kg). Some prisoners suffered from
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Inmates were forced to work on chain gangs – which, save for a few exceptions, had been abandoned by the US in 1955. Maricopa County ran the only all-female chain gang in the country.
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as part of his infrastructure program. Their tasks included "breaking rocks, clearing trees, constructing stone culverts and bridges". In 1828, the colony's chief surveyor
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in the province, referred to by many as chain gangs. He lost seats to the provincial
Liberals which formed another majority government in the subsequent general election.
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282:—ulcers where the iron ground against their skin. Gangrene and other infections were serious risks. Falls could imperil several individuals at once.
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among the last states to abandon the practice. Clallam County, Washington, U.S. still refers to its inmate litter crew as the "Chain Gang."
461:
Abuses in chain gangs led to reform and to their general elimination by 1955. There were still chain gangs in the South in
December 1955.
293:(similar to handcuffs, but with a longer length of chain) and leg irons, with both sets of manacles (wrist and ankle) being chained to a
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454:. The Southern states needed finances and public works to be performed. Prisoners were a free way for these works to be achieved.
386:. Iron gangs were frequently employed on the construction of roads in remote areas where escape was a possibility, such as on the
407:
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A year after reintroducing the chain gang in 1995, Alabama was forced to again abandon the practice pending a lawsuit from the
144:
382:, chain gangs were also referred to as "iron gangs". They were used as a punishment for convicts who reoffended after being
69:. Such punishment might include repairing buildings, building roads, or clearing land. The system was notably used in the
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836:"Back on the Chain Gang: Why the Eighth Amendment and the History of Slavery Proscribe the Resurgence of Chain Gangs"
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Chain gangs experienced a resurgence when
Alabama began to use them again in 1995; they still existed in 1997.
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These could be chained to a much longer chain with several other prisoners, creating a work crew known as a
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is a group of prisoners chained together to perform menial or physically challenging work as a form of
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continued to use chain gangs into the 1970s. Chain gangs were reintroduced by a few states during the "
1277:
University of
Georgia Press; Brown Thrasher Ed edition (October 1997; original copyright, late 1920s).
383:
82:
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A group of prisoners working outside prison walls under close supervision, but without chains, is a
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was the first state to revive them. The experiment ended after about one year in all states except
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Convicts who escaped from iron gangs were described as "bolters" and became some of the first
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1033:"Defiance, Deference and Diligence: Three Views of Convicts in New South Wales Road Gangs"
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Twice the Work of Free Labor: The
Political Economy of Convict Labor in the New South.
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Several jurisdictions in the United States have re-introduced prison labor. In 1995
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Two ankle shackles attached to each other by a short length of chain are known as a
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Various claims as to the purpose of chain gangs have been offered. These include:
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Slaves of the State: Black
Incarceration from the Chain Gang to the Penitentiary.
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reintroduced chain gangs as a deterrent on crime in a pilot project. Ex-convict
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66:
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1292:: Social Theory and the History of Punishment in Nineteenth-Century America.
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1133:"Arizona's 'concentration camp': why was Tent City kept open for 24 years?"
673:"North Carolina: Voices from the Chain Gang | States of Incarceration"
250:. The walk required to avoid tripping while in leg irons is known as the
17:
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272:
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One Dies, Get
Another: Convict Leasing in the American South, 1866–1928.
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859:
477:
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The introduction of chain gangs into the United States began after the
220:
147: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
98:
94:
1361:
Worse than
Slavery: Parchman Farm and the Ordeal of Jim Crow Justice.
1187:"Alabama Prison Chief Fired over Women in Chains | Prison Legal News"
519:
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inmates can still volunteer for a chain gang to earn credit toward a
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because he says it is a "contributing factor" to criminal activity.
1213:"Hudak's chain-gang proposal is a danger to public, Liberals warn"
1163:"Nation IN BRIEF: ALABAMA: Official Fired Over Female Chain Gangs"
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with a short length of chain attached to a heavy ball is known as
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ended slavery outside of the context of punishment for a crime.
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to satisfy the needs of politicians to appear "tough on crime"
116:
1382:
Movie of chain gang in Charleston, South Carolina; circa 1904
271:. Their distinctive attire (stripe wear or orange vests or
332:
a way of perpetuating African-American servitude after the
81:. By 1955 it had largely been phased out in the U.S., with
27:
Group of prisoners chained together as a form of punishment
1307:
Black Prisoners and Their World : Alabama, 1865–1900.
410:. The leg irons were installed by blacksmiths using hot
313:
1894 illustration of chain gang performing manual labor
334:
Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
109:
or avoid disciplinary lockdowns for rule infractions.
1284:
Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2015.
230:. It limited prisoner movement and impeded escape.
1099:
797:
735:
487:, among other organizations. The SPLC's attorney,
41:Chain gang street sweepers, Washington, D. C. 1909
1314:Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison.
829:
827:
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506:Chain gang of juvenile convicts in the US, 1903
498:Chain gang of juvenile convicts in the US, 2006
366:Illustration of a chain gang of 21 convicts in
1290:Penitentiaries, Reformatories, and Chain Gangs
1000:
998:
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348:to accomplish undesirable and difficult tasks
53:chained together by their necks, c. 1890–1927
8:
1346:University of South Carolina Press (1996).
738:Punishment in America: a reference handbook
1275:I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang!
1161:Times staff and wire report (1996-04-27).
923:"R4171 Convict chain gang at Hobart, 1833"
889:"Florida sheriff reintroduces chain gang"
516:Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
207:Learn how and when to remove this message
703:"Prison Road Gangs Fading Fast in South"
285:Modern prisoners are sometimes put into
585:
1131:Fernández, Valeria (August 21, 2017).
929:from the original on 29 September 2020
715:from the original on February 21, 2019
1139:from the original on February 9, 2021
1079:from the original on 17 February 2021
955:from the original on 12 November 2020
899:Gannett Satellite Information Network
882:
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701:Wooten, James T. (October 23, 1971).
600:from the original on 17 February 2021
446:A chain gang in the Southern US, 1903
7:
1309:University of Virginia Press (2000).
1102:The Encyclopedia of American Prisons
1012:from the original on 8 November 2020
981:from the original on 3 November 2020
977:. State Library of New South Wales.
145:adding citations to reliable sources
1223:from the original on August 6, 2011
1106:. Garland Publishing Inc. pp.
1040:Australasian Historical Archaeology
804:. Garland Publishing Inc. p.
25:
1243:"BRITAIN FIRST OFFICIAL POLICIES"
649:"Chain Gang | Clallam County, WA"
574:I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang
529:According to their own policies,
1407:Penal labor in the United States
1247:Britain First - OFFICIAL WEBSITE
1211:Benzie, Robert (July 18, 2011).
800:Encyclopedia of American Prisons
772:"Anderson Cooper 360 transcript"
536:In 2013, Brevard County Jail in
342:to serve as a deterrent to crime
121:
1253:from the original on 2020-10-10
1053:from the original on 2020-04-04
925:. NSW Department of Education.
866:from the original on 2019-04-27
834:Gorman, Tessa M. (March 1997).
778:from the original on 2011-06-04
683:from the original on 2019-02-21
132:needs additional citations for
1:
417:The use of iron gangs in the
1098:McShane, Marilyn D. (1996).
887:Ford, Andrew (May 2, 2013).
796:McShane, Marilyn D. (1996).
522:, campaigned on introducing
476:reintroduced chain gangs in
1294:Palgrave Macmillan (2000).
485:Southern Poverty Law Center
329:cost for private businesses
113:Synonyms and disambiguation
32:Chain gang (disambiguation)
1428:
625:Greenwood Publishing Group
621:Prisons and prison systems
339:reducing inmates' idleness
29:
1008:. Sydney Living Museums.
951:. Sydney Living Museums.
677:Statesofincarceration.org
421:was expanded by Governor
419:Colony of New South Wales
380:Australian penal colonies
1387:The Labour of Doing Time
1135:. Guardian Media Group.
1031:Karskens, Grace (1986).
975:"The convict experience"
619:Roth, Mitchel P (2006).
774:. CNN. March 10, 2004.
653:www.clallamcountywa.gov
514:, former leader of the
1316:Vintage Books (1979).
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79:Southern United States
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1342:Mancini, Matthew J.
1327:Lichtenstein, Alex.
1305:Curtin, Mary Ellen.
840:California Law Review
734:Banks, Cyndi (2005).
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1402:Corporal punishments
1071:Wallenstein, Peter.
141:improve this article
30:For other uses, see
1312:Foucault, Michel.
1075:. Credo Reference.
596:. Credo Reference.
107:high school diploma
49:Female convicts in
1358:Oshinsky, David M.
1273:Burns, Robert E.
708:The New York Times
627:. pp. 56–57.
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452:American Civil War
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93:" 1990s: In 1995,
91:get tough on crime
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1191:Prison Legal News
1167:Los Angeles Times
1117:978-0-8153-1350-2
1006:"A world of pain"
949:"Iron gang chain"
815:978-0-8153-1350-2
757:978-1-85109-676-3
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139:Please help
134:verification
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746:. pp.
432:bushrangers
384:transported
296:belly chain
101:, where in
77:and in the
71:convict era
1396:Categories
1257:2020-10-04
1197:2023-12-05
1172:2023-12-05
1057:2020-11-01
1016:1 November
985:1 November
959:1 November
933:1 November
908:2021-02-17
870:2019-08-15
782:2009-06-07
687:2019-02-21
658:2024-08-16
321:punishment
248:chain gang
167:newspapers
67:punishment
59:chain gang
18:Chain-gang
1227:August 3,
1083:2 October
894:USA TODAY
604:3 October
581:Footnotes
568:Work song
512:Tim Hudak
510:In 2011,
406:over the
358:Australia
289:or wrist
287:handcuffs
273:jumpsuits
269:work gang
242:leg irons
75:Australia
63:road gang
1363:(1997).
1251:Archived
1221:Archived
1137:Archived
1077:Archived
1048:Archived
1010:Archived
979:Archived
953:Archived
927:Archived
864:Archived
776:Archived
744:ABC-CLIO
713:Archived
681:Archived
598:Archived
552:See also
404:Bathurst
400:the road
372:Tasmania
291:manacles
197:May 2024
860:3481074
748:154–156
478:Arizona
394:to the
378:In the
353:History
305:Purpose
221:shackle
181:scholar
99:Arizona
95:Alabama
83:Georgia
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520:Canada
412:rivets
392:Sydney
368:Hobart
239:or as
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162:
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1108:71–73
1051:(PDF)
1036:(PDF)
856:JSTOR
390:from
188:JSTOR
174:books
1365:ISBN
1348:ISBN
1333:ISBN
1318:ISBN
1296:ISBN
1229:2011
1145:2021
1112:ISBN
1085:2013
1018:2020
987:2020
961:2020
935:2020
810:ISBN
752:ISBN
721:2019
629:ISBN
606:2013
398:and
160:news
848:doi
518:in
143:by
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