“Nine Southern states adopted vagrancy laws – which essentially made it a criminal offense not to work and were applied selectively to blacks – and eight of those states enacted convict laws allowing for the hiring-out of county prisoners to plantation owners and private companies.”

“Nine Southern states adopted vagrancy laws – which essentially made it a criminal offense not to work and were applied selectively to blacks – and eight of those states enacted convict laws allowing for the hiring-out of county prisoners to plantation owners and private companies.”

— Michelle Alexander