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The 2022-23 NBA hierarchy already saw a few shake-ups in its first week.

The Portland Trail Blazers have taken an early lead on the title for biggest surprise of the season with a 4-0 start. Damian Lillard & Co. have not only won but have notched meaningful victories over Western Conference rivals at the top of this week’s rankings, including the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets.

The Utah Jazz joined Portland in the surprisingly undefeated club with its three wins coming against contenders, including Denver and the Minnesota Timberwolves, before coming back down to earth against the lowly Houston Rockets.

Still, at least one team confirmed some recent pessimism this week: The Los Angeles Lakers started the season 0-3, and they appear lost from beyond the 3-point line. The Brooklyn Nets look like they could be a star-studded mess themselves, with Ben Simmons lowlighting one of the NBA’s worst defenses in the early going.

Note: The NBA Power Rankings have found a new home — on Wednesdays! Throughout the regular season, our panel (Kendra Andrews, Tim Bontemps, Jamal Collier, Nick Friedell, Andrew Lopez, Tim MacMahon, Dave McMenamin and Ohm Youngmisuk) is ranking all 30 teams from top to bottom, taking stock of which teams are playing the best basketball now and which teams are looking most like title contenders.

Previous rankings: Week 1

1. Milwaukee Bucks2022-23 record: 2-0Preseason ranking: 2

As evidenced by their opening-night victory against Philadelphia, the Bucks’ offense might be a slog while Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton remain sidelined, but Giannis Antetokounmpo looks ready to pick up the slack. Antetokounmpo put up 44 points on 81% shooting to go with 12 rebounds in 28 minutes against the Rockets, the first time in his career he scored 40 in less than 30 minutes of playing time. — Collier

2. Boston Celtics2022-23 record: 3-1Preseason ranking: 4

Monday’s dud against the Bulls aside, it’s been an impressive start to the season for Boston, with the Celtics looking like they haven’t missed a beat from last season’s NBA Finals run — even as they adjust to life under interim coach Joe Mazzulla. Malcolm Brogdon, in particular, has been a seamless fit coming off the bench, giving Boston the kind of off-the-dribble juice this team simply didn’t have during the playoffs. — Bontemps

3. Phoenix Suns2022-23 record: 3-1Preseason ranking: 8

What a whirlwind of emotions for the Suns this week, as they shook off any notion of offseason slippage by beating three Western Conference contenders in the Clippers, Warriors and Mavs. The win over Golden State was a 29-point drubbing — and a possible statement on how Phoenix’s season will end up going. — McMenamin

4. Memphis Grizzlies2022-23 record: 3-1Preseason ranking: 6

Ja Morant and Desmond Bane evenly split 76 points in Monday’s win over the Nets, breaking Memphis’ franchise record for the highest-scoring performance by a duo. The spectacular has been routine for Morant, the league’s leading scorer (35.3 points per game). Bane, whom the Grizzlies believe can make the step to All-Star status this season, broke out of a season-opening shooting funk against Brooklyn, registering more field goals (14-of-21) and 3s (8-of-11) than he did in the first three games combined. — MacMahon

5. Golden State Warriors2022-23 record: 2-2Preseason ranking: 1

Following Golden State’s loss to the Suns, which saw Klay Thompson get his first career ejection, the Warriors offered a blunt assessment of their 2-2 start. “A decent offensive team and a bad defensive team,” Draymond Green said Tuesday night. And he’s correct. The Warriors have allowed opponents to score at least 70 points in one half in three out of their four games. — Andrews

6. Cleveland Cavaliers2022-23 record: 2-1Preseason ranking: 13

Welcome to Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell has been every bit as good as advertised to start things off for the Cavs, scoring 30 points or more in each of the team’s first three games while also dishing out seven assists a night. The next step will be integrating Evan Mobley, with the second-year star’s shots per game down from 12 a season ago to only 8.3 in the early going. — McMenamin

7. LA Clippers2022-23 record: 2-2Preseason ranking: 3

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It’s going to be a while before the Clippers see what they truly can be at full strength. There’s early concern with Kawhi Leonard, who will travel back to L.A. and miss both games at Oklahoma City after experiencing stiffness in his surgically repaired knee. Leonard was already coming off the bench, having played three stints, with totals of 21 minutes (twice) and 28 minutes. John Wall has looked good in limited minutes, Reggie Jackson has had to deal with a groin issue and Paul George missed Tuesday’s game with non-COVID illness. And the Clippers’ schedule is packed, with 18 games in 32 days, starting on Sunday. — Youngmisuk

8. Portland Trail Blazers2022-23 record: 4-0Preseason ranking: 21

There’s something brewing in Portland. The Blazers are 4-0, with an overtime win against Phoenix, a thrilling two-point victory over the Lakers and a rout of the Nuggets. Damian Lillard is heating up with two 41-point games, Anfernee Simons drilled seven 3s against Denver, Jusuf Nurkic is healthy and offseason addition Jerami Grant is starting to fit in. — Youngmisuk

9. New Orleans Pelicans2022-23 record: 3-1Preseason ranking: 14

Zion Williamson is back. Despite the fourth-year forward missing Tuesday night’s matchup because of a right posterior hip/lower back contusion, Williamson made waves in his first three contests. He is back to his bruising self in the paint, as he scored at least 25 points on 50% shooting twice in three games. It was the 48th time he accomplished the feat in 88 career contests. Only Walt Bellamy (57) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (54) registered more such games in their first 100 career games, and Williamson has 12 more to go. — Lopez

10. Denver Nuggets2022-23 record: 2-2Preseason ranking: 7

Sure, the Nuggets lost to the Jazz, but Denver rebounded nicely over the Warriors, scoring 70 points in the first half. Nikola Jokic has already tallied two triple-doubles and tied Wilt Chamberlain for most triple-doubles by a center in NBA history. — Andrews

11. Dallas Mavericks2022-23 record: 1-2Preseason ranking: 10

Luka Doncic and Christian Wood rank first and second, respectively, in Player Efficiency Rating. But those great numbers only add up to a 1-2 record after the Mavs blew a 22-point lead to the Suns in the opener and managed to lose to a New Orleans team missing Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and defensive stopper Herb Jones. — MacMahon

12. Atlanta Hawks2022-23 record: 2-1Preseason ranking: 16

The Trae Young–Dejounte Murray partnership is going to be a work in progress, but early returns are encouraging. Young is averaging 25.3 points and 11.7 assists despite low shooting numbers. (His 32.4% shooting and 25% clip from 3-point range are sure to increase.) And Murray is averaging 19.7 points, 8.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 steals in his first three games as a Hawk. Young and Murray are both in the top 10 in total assists in the league and, according to ESPN Stats & Information research, could become just the fourth set of teammates since 2000 to each finish in the top 10. — Lopez

13. Utah Jazz2022-23 record: 3-1Preseason ranking: 28

The Jazz became the second team over the past three decades to start 3-0 despite being at least seven-point underdogs in each game, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. The other: the 2013-14 76ers, who finished … 19-63. Lauri Markkanen (21.5 points per game, 8.8 rebounds per game) is off to an awesome start in Utah, following up on his phenomenal EuroBasket performance for Finland. — MacMahon

14. New York Knicks2022-23 record: 2-1Preseason ranking: 18

Through three games, Jalen Brunson has been everything the Knicks could have hoped for this season, and then some: 17 points and seven assists per game as compared to just one turnover per contest, and, most importantly, a steady hand on the wheel. It’s been a very encouraging start for the Knicks. Brunson is a big reason. — Bontemps

15. Toronto Raptors2022-23 record: 2-2Preseason ranking: 15

No Eastern Conference team has had a more difficult start than Toronto, with a home game against Cleveland followed by road tilts versus Brooklyn and Miami (twice). What do the Raptors get as a reward for going 2-2 through that stretch? A baseball series at home against Philadelphia, followed by a visit from Trae Young and the Hawks on Halloween. It’s the perfect encapsulation of the difficulties that life in the conference is going to provide on a daily basis. — Bontemps

16. Washington Wizards2022-23 record: 3-1Preseason ranking: 22

The Wizards got off to a 10-3 start last season, so it’s best to wait before making any quick judgments on Washington’s start to this season. Bradley Beal hasn’t had to do a lot of heavy lifting so far, setting up his teammates and averaging six assists so far. Kristaps Porzingis has remained healthy, and Kyle Kuzma is off to a great start, scoring at least 22 points in three of his four games. — Youngmisuk

17. Minnesota Timberwolves2022-23 record: 2-2Preseason ranking: 12

The Timberwolves lost to the Jazz and had two close games against the Thunder that, on paper, should have been easy tasks. It will take some time for the Wolves to find their identity around new defensive anchor Rudy Gobert, but in the world of instant gratification, Minnesota has a lot of work to do. — Andrews

18. San Antonio Spurs2022-23 record: 3-1Preseason ranking: 27

Gregg Popovich joked on media day that no one should be heading to Las Vegas to place bets on the Spurs to win the NBA championship, but that hasn’t stopped San Antonio from getting out to a 3-1 start. After a disappointing loss at home to the Hornets to start the campaign, San Antonio rattled off road wins against Indiana, Philadelphia and Minnesota. Devin Vassell has averaged 22.7 PPG during the win streak, marking the first time in his career he has scored at least 20 in three consecutive games. — Lopez

19. Philadelphia 76ers2022-23 record: 1-3Preseason ranking: 5

Philadelphia’s basketball team should be thanking its lucky stars that the city’s baseball team is in the World Series and its football team is the NFL’s lone remaining undefeated team this season. While Monday’s win over the Pacers briefly calmed things down, the 76ers’ quiet, drama-free preseason now feels like a distant memory. — Bontemps

20. Charlotte Hornets2022-23 record: 2-1Preseason ranking: 24

Kelly Oubre Jr. has provided a nice lift for Steve Clifford in the coach’s first regular-season week back on the job. Oubre is averaging 17.3 points and six rebounds while shooting 40% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Gordon Hayward is averaging 19.3 points and has provided a solid presence while the Hornets wait for LaMelo Ball to return from an ankle injury. — Friedell

21. Miami Heat2022-23 record: 1-3Preseason ranking: 9

This has not been the start that Erik Spoelstra & Co. were hoping for. Jimmy Butler has started off strong, averaging 23 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists over his first four games, but he hasn’t yet gotten the kind of consistent help he needs. Kyle Lowry went a combined 6-for-28 during Miami’s three losses.— Friedell

22. Brooklyn Nets2022-23 record: 1-2Preseason ranking: 11

The Nets are struggling to find any kind of defensive rhythm. They have a league-worst 124.7 defensive rating, according to NBA.com/stats. While coach Steve Nash remains confident his team will catch its rhythm, the larger issue for Brooklyn is Ben Simmons. He did not have much of an impact over his first week and fouled out of two of his first three regular-season games. — Friedell

23. Chicago Bulls2022-23 record: 2-2Preseason ranking: 17

After going 1-14 against the four East semifinalists (Milwaukee, Boston, Miami and Philadelphia) last season, the Bulls picked up wins against the Celtics and Heat in the season’s opening week. The Bulls still have offensive issues to iron out (25th in offensive efficiency and 28th in 3-pointers per game), but they have been about league average on defense to help fuel a .500 start. — Collier

24. Detroit Pistons2022-23 record: 1-3Preseason ranking: 23

Detroit’s roster features 10 players 24 or younger, so some ups and downs should be expected throughout the season. However, the Pistons have to be encouraged by the starts of their two rookies. Jalen Duren, 18, is averaging nine points and seven rebounds while shooting 58% off the bench. And Jaden Ivey is averaging 17 points, six assists and five rebounds while shooting 45% from 3. — Collier

25. Los Angeles Lakers2022-23 record: 0-3Preseason ranking: 19

Things aren’t just bad in L.A. They’re historically bad. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, a team has attempted at least 100 3-pointers in a three-game span more than 6,100 times in NBA history. The Lakers’ 21.2% showing from deep in their 0-3 start to the season is the second worst out of all those instances, besting only the Hawks 21.0% in 2018. — McMenamin

26. Indiana Pacers2022-23 record: 1-3Preseason ranking: 26

What a start for Pacers rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin. After a strong preseason, the No. 6 pick put up 22.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in his opening week, which included hitting 42.9% of 3s on seven attempts per game. Mathurin will be someone to keep an eye on playing next to guard Tyrese Haliburton. — Collier

27. Houston Rockets2022-23 record: 1-3Preseason ranking: 30

Rookie Jabari Smith Jr. responded to a spot start at center with by far the best performance of his young career in Monday’s win over Utah. He had 21 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks, sealing the Rockets’ first victory of the season with a pair of clutch free throws. — MacMahon

28. Sacramento Kings2022-23 record: 0-3Preseason ranking: 20

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Sacramento has been within five points of its competition in the last five minutes during each of its games, all loses, and the Kings nearly overcame a 50-point second quarter by the Warriors and fought back from a 26-point deficit. The Kings are struggling on the margins, such as free throws, negating stellar starts from rookie Keegan Murray and star guard De’Aaron Fox. — Andrews

29. Oklahoma City Thunder2022-23 record: 1-3Preseason ranking: 29

The Thunder took advantage of a Clippers squad without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to pick up win No. 1 on the season Tuesday night, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued his strong start. Gilgeous-Alexander had 33 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 steals. It was the third time in his career he has had at least three blocks and three steals, and the Thunder have been victorious in all three contests. — Lopez

30. Orlando Magic2022-23 record: 0-4Preseason ranking: 25

The good news: No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero appears to be that good. In his first four games, the rookie averaged 22.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3 assists. The bad news is that the Magic still don’t have a win. After re-signing in the summer, big man Mo Bamba has had little impact off the bench, averaging 3 points and 2.8 rebounds in just over 13 minutes a contest.– Friedell

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From August 2020 till June 2022, after being arrested at a Loop protest to defund CPD and abolish ICE, Chicago rapper Jeremey “Mohawk” Johnson was subject to the torments of Cook County’s buggy electronic monitoring system and its Kafkaesque bureaucracy. During that same period, he released music that’s boisterous, funny, and vulnerable. The bulk of it came out in the first half of 2021, ending with the intense single “Villainous”; then he was silent till the searching EP Trash on Valentine’s Day 2022, which closes with a soliloquy about a toxic relationship, victimhood, and community. Four months later, a Cook County judge released Johnson from electronic monitoring, and a few weeks ago the rapper released his first piece of new music in eight months: the big-footed, acerbic single “Outside.” The song pairs Johnson with producer Naughta, who collaborated with him on his very first single (2018’s “Hush”). Naughta expanded Johnson’s taste in dance music, and you can hear that all over “Outside”—the instrumental stokes the rapper’s exuberant performance with clusters of minimalist, blown-out bass, an ascending staccato percussive loop, and a sample of what sounds like a siren. Johnson switches his flow between ironclad and butter-smooth while taking aim at the broken justice system and gassing himself up. “Outside” commands everyone in earshot to get on their feet and move, which bodes well for Johnson’s gig at the Promontory; this will be his first in-person concert since the start of the pandemic.

Mohawk Johnson Eliy Orcko headlines, Mohawk Johnson and Davis the Dorchester Bully open. Thu 10/28, 7 PM, the Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. West, $20, $15 in advance, 18+

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Slavery is alive and well in America: it thrives in prisons across the country. There are close to 1.5 million people incarcerated in federal and state prisons; more than two-thirds of them are workers. The jobs that these prisoners perform are in most instances the same jobs many people have on the outside. Imprisoned people are cooks, food servers, dishwashers, painters, janitors, groundskeepers, barbers, electricians, and plumbers. They work in laundries, kitchens, factories, and hospitals. In some states they fight wildfires, clean up debris after floods and hurricanes, and help repair roads.

People in prison manufacture office furniture, mattresses, license plates, dentures, clothing, soap, glasses, traffic signs, and uniforms. They cultivate and harvest crops, work as welders and carpenters, and work in meat processing plants. If you can think of a job, there are prisoners who do it—and generally do it well. A June report by the ACLU found the prison workforce produces more than $11 billion dollars a year in goods and services. 

But there are stark differences between the workers out there and the people who are workers in prison. Workers out there can unionize and have protections against exploitation and abuse. Workers in prison are often thrown into unfamiliar jobs with little to no training and are under the complete control of their employers. They have no legal protections, and are paid pennies a day, if at all.

Surprisingly, it’s the 13th Amendment that makes these wretched conditions possible.

It’s ironic that the amendment that outlawed slavery and involuntary servitude explicitly excluded men and women who are convicted of a crime. The 13th Amendment legally allows people in prison to be used as slaves. In many cases that is exactly how we are used. It’s not just morally wrong; it’s a human rights abuse.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, more than 75 percent of prison workers surveyed report that they are forced to work. Refusal means they could face punishments such as solitary confinement, denial of good time opportunities to reduce their sentence, and loss of family visitation, as well as the inability to pay for basic life necessities like soap. 

I had a job where my boss, a prison guard, disrespected and dehumanized me every day, for no other reason than he could. I quit. I refused to keep dealing with the verbal abuse and bullying. As a result, I was written up and had my yard privileges taken away for three months. I wouldn’t accept being verbally abused and attacked every day, so I was denied even the basic right of going outside.

In prison, you’re told having a job is a privilege, yet you have no right to choose if you want to work or what type of work you do, and you’re subject to arbitrary, discriminatory, and punitive decisions by prison staff who select your work assignments. 

Some prisoners are assigned dangerous work in already unsafe conditions, without training or protective gear—even when the job requires it. Prison workers are also excluded from workplace protections such as minimum wage laws or overtime. Prisoners are not allowed to unionize and do not have any job safety guarantees.

How can society expect people released from prison to see others with humanity, dignity, and respect when it’s drilled into us that we don’t have any ourselves?

Several years ago, I had a job in the infirmary. I helped move sick inmates and cleaned rooms of blood and excrement. I was thrown into an unnerving and dangerous situation without having been given any training on how to protect myself while cleaning bodily fluids, just latex gloves, and no supervision. 

Prison workers have been burned with chemicals, maimed, and killed on the job. According to the ACLU report, numerous cases were documented nationwide of injuries that could have been prevented with proper training, machine guarding mechanisms, or personal protective equipment. Last month a prisoner here lost half his foot in a grounds crew accident. You get put into dangerous situations with no kind of protection or training to fall back on. 

People in prison who are exploited for their labor produce real value for companies and state employees. 

Joe Dole, the policy director of Parole Illinois and author of A Costly American Hatred, notes that thousands of companies, their employees and stockholders, prison guards and administrative staff have a vested interest in keeping people in prison. Dole writes that outsourcing prison labor turns prisoners into commodities, thus incentivizing more mass incarceration.

As it currently exists, the prison work system does not teach people a vocation or facilitate rehabilitation, despite the fact that Stateville could not run without prison workers. The system serves a purpose, but not one consistent with basic human rights. Prison labor is designed to benefit primarily public entities that capitalize on a vulnerable population that is at once a captive labor force and a captive consumer base.

It’s nothing more than exploitation. 

We need to end it. Prison policy shouldn’t be driven by the desire for cheap labor. The Illinois Department of Corrections cannot be allowed to treat people this way. Imagine if it was your family member that the state was using as a legal slave. 

Most prisoners want to work; they don’t want to be exploited. Jobs in prison should pay a fair wage and provide skills that transfer to employment in the real world. When people leave prison now, they are given nothing but bus fare. They have worked hard their entire time in prison and have nothing to show for it. The money they earned while working in prison would make a big difference in terms of recidivism. 

Society needs to take a close look at how we treat prison workers. No one would respond well to being treated this way. People in prison need to view work as a life skill and have the dignity of being paid for hard work. We know we’re viewed as a commodity, as slaves. 

How can society expect people released from prison to see others with humanity, dignity, and respect when it’s drilled into us that we don’t have any ourselves? How can you expect the people who get out of prison to be positive and productive members of society when all they’ve been is exploited and dehumanized to the point of slavery?

Read More

From August 2020 till June 2022, after being arrested at a Loop protest to defund CPD and abolish ICE, Chicago rapper Jeremey “Mohawk” Johnson was subject to the torments of Cook County’s buggy electronic monitoring system and its Kafkaesque bureaucracy. During that same period, he released music that’s boisterous, funny, and vulnerable. The bulk of it came out in the first half of 2021, ending with the intense single “Villainous”; then he was silent till the searching EP Trash on Valentine’s Day 2022, which closes with a soliloquy about a toxic relationship, victimhood, and community. Four months later, a Cook County judge released Johnson from electronic monitoring, and a few weeks ago the rapper released his first piece of new music in eight months: the big-footed, acerbic single “Outside.” The song pairs Johnson with producer Naughta, who collaborated with him on his very first single (2018’s “Hush”). Naughta expanded Johnson’s taste in dance music, and you can hear that all over “Outside”—the instrumental stokes the rapper’s exuberant performance with clusters of minimalist, blown-out bass, an ascending staccato percussive loop, and a sample of what sounds like a siren. Johnson switches his flow between ironclad and butter-smooth while taking aim at the broken justice system and gassing himself up. “Outside” commands everyone in earshot to get on their feet and move, which bodes well for Johnson’s gig at the Promontory; this will be his first in-person concert since the start of the pandemic.

Mohawk Johnson Eliy Orcko headlines, Mohawk Johnson and Davis the Dorchester Bully open. Thu 10/28, 7 PM, the Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. West, $20, $15 in advance, 18+

Read More

Slavery is alive and well in America: it thrives in prisons across the country. There are close to 1.5 million people incarcerated in federal and state prisons; more than two-thirds of them are workers. The jobs that these prisoners perform are in most instances the same jobs many people have on the outside. Imprisoned people are cooks, food servers, dishwashers, painters, janitors, groundskeepers, barbers, electricians, and plumbers. They work in laundries, kitchens, factories, and hospitals. In some states they fight wildfires, clean up debris after floods and hurricanes, and help repair roads.

People in prison manufacture office furniture, mattresses, license plates, dentures, clothing, soap, glasses, traffic signs, and uniforms. They cultivate and harvest crops, work as welders and carpenters, and work in meat processing plants. If you can think of a job, there are prisoners who do it—and generally do it well. A June report by the ACLU found the prison workforce produces more than $11 billion dollars a year in goods and services. 

But there are stark differences between the workers out there and the people who are workers in prison. Workers out there can unionize and have protections against exploitation and abuse. Workers in prison are often thrown into unfamiliar jobs with little to no training and are under the complete control of their employers. They have no legal protections, and are paid pennies a day, if at all.

Surprisingly, it’s the 13th Amendment that makes these wretched conditions possible.

It’s ironic that the amendment that outlawed slavery and involuntary servitude explicitly excluded men and women who are convicted of a crime. The 13th Amendment legally allows people in prison to be used as slaves. In many cases that is exactly how we are used. It’s not just morally wrong; it’s a human rights abuse.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, more than 75 percent of prison workers surveyed report that they are forced to work. Refusal means they could face punishments such as solitary confinement, denial of good time opportunities to reduce their sentence, and loss of family visitation, as well as the inability to pay for basic life necessities like soap. 

I had a job where my boss, a prison guard, disrespected and dehumanized me every day, for no other reason than he could. I quit. I refused to keep dealing with the verbal abuse and bullying. As a result, I was written up and had my yard privileges taken away for three months. I wouldn’t accept being verbally abused and attacked every day, so I was denied even the basic right of going outside.

In prison, you’re told having a job is a privilege, yet you have no right to choose if you want to work or what type of work you do, and you’re subject to arbitrary, discriminatory, and punitive decisions by prison staff who select your work assignments. 

Some prisoners are assigned dangerous work in already unsafe conditions, without training or protective gear—even when the job requires it. Prison workers are also excluded from workplace protections such as minimum wage laws or overtime. Prisoners are not allowed to unionize and do not have any job safety guarantees.

How can society expect people released from prison to see others with humanity, dignity, and respect when it’s drilled into us that we don’t have any ourselves?

Several years ago, I had a job in the infirmary. I helped move sick inmates and cleaned rooms of blood and excrement. I was thrown into an unnerving and dangerous situation without having been given any training on how to protect myself while cleaning bodily fluids, just latex gloves, and no supervision. 

Prison workers have been burned with chemicals, maimed, and killed on the job. According to the ACLU report, numerous cases were documented nationwide of injuries that could have been prevented with proper training, machine guarding mechanisms, or personal protective equipment. Last month a prisoner here lost half his foot in a grounds crew accident. You get put into dangerous situations with no kind of protection or training to fall back on. 

People in prison who are exploited for their labor produce real value for companies and state employees. 

Joe Dole, the policy director of Parole Illinois and author of A Costly American Hatred, notes that thousands of companies, their employees and stockholders, prison guards and administrative staff have a vested interest in keeping people in prison. Dole writes that outsourcing prison labor turns prisoners into commodities, thus incentivizing more mass incarceration.

As it currently exists, the prison work system does not teach people a vocation or facilitate rehabilitation, despite the fact that Stateville could not run without prison workers. The system serves a purpose, but not one consistent with basic human rights. Prison labor is designed to benefit primarily public entities that capitalize on a vulnerable population that is at once a captive labor force and a captive consumer base.

It’s nothing more than exploitation. 

We need to end it. Prison policy shouldn’t be driven by the desire for cheap labor. The Illinois Department of Corrections cannot be allowed to treat people this way. Imagine if it was your family member that the state was using as a legal slave. 

Most prisoners want to work; they don’t want to be exploited. Jobs in prison should pay a fair wage and provide skills that transfer to employment in the real world. When people leave prison now, they are given nothing but bus fare. They have worked hard their entire time in prison and have nothing to show for it. The money they earned while working in prison would make a big difference in terms of recidivism. 

Society needs to take a close look at how we treat prison workers. No one would respond well to being treated this way. People in prison need to view work as a life skill and have the dignity of being paid for hard work. We know we’re viewed as a commodity, as slaves. 

How can society expect people released from prison to see others with humanity, dignity, and respect when it’s drilled into us that we don’t have any ourselves? How can you expect the people who get out of prison to be positive and productive members of society when all they’ve been is exploited and dehumanized to the point of slavery?

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The Chicago Blackhawks came into Tuesday night’s game on a three-game winning streak. They are supposed to be a rebuilding team but it is early enough in the season to enjoy this huge winning streak. They thought they’d try to extend it Tuesday against the Florida Panthers.

Coming into the game, this seemed like the game in which the Blackhawks would be humbled again. The Panthers were one of the best teams in the NHL last season. That doesn’t really mean much, however, as the games have to be played.

The Hawks played very well right out of the gate. They were winning 1-0 2:57 into the game thanks to a goal by Taylor Raddysh.

Late in that same period, Patrick Kane scored his first goal of the season to make it 2-0. Seeing Kaner get two first-period points is huge. Kane has gotten off to a somewhat slow start but he now has five points (1-4-5) through six games. This should kickstart his season.

Philipp Kurashev scored a very beautiful goal in the second period which gave the Hawks a 3-0 lead that made it seem like they were going to cruise to that fourth straight win.

The Chicago Blackhawks held on for their fourth straight win against Florida.

The rebuilding team in them showed a little bit in the third period. They allowed the Panthers to climb back into the game by scoring two goals. With just a one-goal deficit, the Panthers pulled their goalie for the extra attacker and tried to tie it.

Luckily, Jonathan Toews scored into the empty net and sealed Chicago’s fourth straight win by a final score of 4-2. It was an impressive night at home against a very good team that has Stanley Cup aspirations. Seeing the Hawks play this well is truly shocking.

There are few teams more surprising (good or bad) through the first couple of weeks. Sometimes, crazy things like that happen in sports.

It was nice to see Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane each net a goal in the same game. Their record when that happens is almost perfect so it is no surprise that it led to a win in this one. We don’t know how many more of these we have left so enjoy it.

This team is well coached which means they won’t just lay down and let teams beat them. There is a chance that they still finish near the bottom of the standings but it won’t be easy for teams to beat them if they play like this.

They will try to make it five straight when they host the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. That should be an intense battle with high-level skill.

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Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky riffs on the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty, and interviews politicians, activists, journalists and other political know-it-alls. Presented by the Chicago Reader, the show is available by 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays at chicagoreader.com/joravsky—or wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t miss Oh, What a Week!–the Friday feature in which Ben & producer Dennis (aka, Dr. D.) review the week’s top stories. Also, bonus interviews drop on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. 

Chicago Reader podcasts are recorded on Shure microphones. Learn more at Shure.com.

Chicago Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky discusses the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty on The Ben Joravsky Show.

Read More

Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky riffs on the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty, and interviews politicians, activists, journalists and other political know-it-alls. Presented by the Chicago Reader, the show is available by 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays at chicagoreader.com/joravsky—or wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t miss Oh, What a Week!–the Friday feature in which Ben & producer Dennis (aka, Dr. D.) review the week’s top stories. Also, bonus interviews drop on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. 

Chicago Reader podcasts are recorded on Shure microphones. Learn more at Shure.com.

Chicago Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky discusses the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty on The Ben Joravsky Show.

Read More