Recently, I read a piece of news that the grocery chain Whole foods said it would stop selling goods made by prison labor this week due to the protest of using inmate labor in Houston, Texas.

Whole Foods has benefited from inmate labor since 2011 but now it just changed its standpoint completely because some consumers feel uncomfortable. It concerns more about how to keep their consumers’ loyalty than to “help people get back on their feet and eventually become contributing members of society.” It values its profit much more than the community. I totally agree with Michael Allen, a prison reform advocate who planned the Houston protest, once said “Whole Foods is hypocritical because it says it cares about the community, but what it really cares about is profits.” Whole Foods may choose the prison labor program in 2011 in the beginning only because the program would reduce its variable cost.

Companies can get enormous benefits by hiring prison labor. The workers get cheap labor rate even lower than the minimum wage. Also, they are considered easier to control and company can avoid to provide them with health insurance or sick day. Companies could even receive a tax credit for hiring ‘ high target groups’.

In my opinion, to start a business in a community, one should not only concern about the business profit but also concerns about the community as a whole, try to make some contributions to the community. Whole Foods is such a success business and hiring some inmate labor won’t hurt but the inmate workers can learn new skills and start a new life because of this. I can only say that is the different business ethics between people. Hope those inmate labor can find new chance and do well in the future.

http://magazine.good.is/articles/whole-foods-prison-labor

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-34408636

https://www.facebook.com/endmassincarceration.houston

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/company-info