cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/12934383

“In the early 20th century, nearly all state prisoners were leased to private companies for hard labor in often deplorable conditions. Prisoners were expected to labor from sunrise to sunset mining phosphate, tapping pine trees for turpentine, clearing swamps, harvesting timber or building roads.”

Image Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/TheWayWeWere/comments/t31cfg/convict_leasing_working_in_tandem_with_floridas/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

I tracked it back to this database from florida.