Slavery still exists within the United States of America. Although the 13th Amendment outlawed the practice, it also offered the legal justification for the reintroduction of slavery. When the the 13th Amendment in The Constitution of the United States of America was written it was done to appease those who were against slavery and those who supported slavery. This has been done by the usage of the exception clause in the 13th Amendment that makes a person a slave when they have been found guilty of committing a crime. When anyone takes a look at the rise of the prison industrial complex they will see modern day slavery. If one is a slave then the 14th and 15th Amendments respectfully do not apply to their situation. No rights and respect are given to a slave (i.e., inmate, ex-con, felon, etc...).

When the Jim and Jane Crow era ended something had to be put in place to continue the overt racial caste system enjoyed by the elite who have historically benefited from a slaveocracy. Our nation has suffered immensely since the 1970s. President Nixon's Law and Order agenda declared war on the poorest of Americans who attempt to survive in the most dangerous communities where poverty, crime, and hopelessness lived. During the President Reagan and Bush years, the influx of international drugs (heroine, cocaine, etc..) to the inner cities solidified drug culture that is still thriving today. Then, the mandatory minimum prison sentence era established by the President Clinton administration justified the prison industrial complex and the modern day slave system. This has been built on and supported by using the same Amendment that was used to end slavery.

Today, we see the outcome. Many are enraged about the over criminalization (incarceration and imprisonment) of the nation. The end result is the new slave. Presidential candidates (both political parties) are saying something must be changed within the criminal justice system. President Obama visited and federal prison and even declared the senselessness of putting low-level drug dealers away for life. Neither will declare these individuals are the new slaves living in a land that promotes freedom to all. This new slave has no hope of a future because the "exception" clause in the 13th Amendment removes citizenship and does not reinstitute full rights as an American citizen when their prison sentence has ended.

The start of the solution is the have the Constitution of the United States amended to reflect the rejection of slavery. I am calling for the 13th Amendment to be rewritten to reflect the removal of the exception clause. Currently the 13th Amendment states:

Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

I am proposing it read as follows:

Section 1. "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

This will make the Constitution a fairer more balanced document that truly reflects that ending of the most vile institution ever established upon this land. It will also guarantee a person's rights as a citizen even if convicted of a crime.