# Convicted of a crime? Sold into chattel slavery

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convicted-of-a-crime-sold-into-chattel-slavery/949829>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [August 31, 2021, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convicted-of-a-crime-sold-into-chattel-slavery/949829 "2021-08-31T14:18:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 64

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**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convicted-of-a-crime-sold-into-chattel-slavery/949829/64 "2021-09-02T23:50:05Z")

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> [@UltraVires](#):
>
> [Legal thinker] Well, surely slavery must be a cruel and unusual punishment.

I deny this premise.

America has had a penal labor system longer than we’ve had chattel African slaves, starting with indentured servants.

> [@UltraVires](#):
>
> Slavery is not prohibited from use as a punishment.

I deny this conclusion, too. The Thirteenth Amendment does not prohibit slavery as a criminal punishment, but that does not mean slavery as a criminal punishment is allowed by the Constitution as a whole.

~Max

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