In its national PR blitz to buff up its image, the oil giant has loudly boasted that it has been hiring devastated, out-of-work local people to handle the clean-up. Many have been hired, but not nearly enough, according to the people themselves. The Nation magazine now reports a big reason for the shortfall. BP has been using inmates – literally a captive workforce – to do much of the shoveling and scooping to remove oil from Louisiana beaches. What a deal for BP! It gets very cheap workers who're guaranteed to show up on time, do what they're told, and keep their mouths shut.[...]
How many are there? No officials with BP, the feds, or the State of Louisiana could or would tell Young. How much are the prisoners paid? A local sheriff's official told Young, They're not getting paid, it's part of their sentence."
Indeed, the prison uniforms pissed off so many people that BP has them outfitted in BP shirts and jeans.
However, BP is getting paid for this labor. By you and me. Under a little known tax provision passed during the Bush regime, corporations can get a "work opportunity tax credit" of $2,400 for every work release inmate they hire.
These BP guys are making Enron’s crew look like amateurs.
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