As of this past week, the United States may be witnessing its largest prison strike in our nation's history. The strike has been going on for three weeks now and there are at least 20 prisons in 11 states that have reported of their inmate population participating.

These inmates are protesting that their work loads and requirements are too much of a burden and are even labeling their situation as "modern day slavery." The protest began on September 9th, in honor of the 45th anniversary of the Attica Prison Riot, where prisoners rioted for the some of the same issues."The prisoners have expressed their frustration over the work they put in to benefit the prison while they gain no benefit in their personal lives. Some have argued that they fulfill jobs that the prisons would hire outside help for otherwise and that they should be earning a profit like an employee would.

The protest began on September 9th, in honor of the 45th anniversary of the Attica Prison Riot, where prisoners rioted for some of the same issues. It has been said that the protest originated in Holman Correctional Facility, located in Alabama. The strike was apparently planned and coordinated through a network of inmates, contraband cell phones, and family and friends spreading the word to other prisons across the United States.

There are reports that these attempts at participation in this protest have caused some prisons to go on lockdown and others have taken away their inmates' phone call rights to slow down spread of this information. It has also been said that there has also been guard retaliation against those who have chosen to participate. Riot gear and tear gas have both been used to keep inmates from acting out.