Thread: Idaho Potato Fields: Prisoners Replace Migrants

July 02, 2007

Idaho Potato Fields: Prisoners Relace Migrants
ID potato fields: cons replace migrants

By JOHN MILLER
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER


BOISE, Idaho -- Potatoes are worth gold to Idaho's economy, but
that's not why an armed guard oversees red T-shirted workers at the
SunGlo packing plant located deep in tuber country.

Workers from Mexico have become more scarce, so the Sugar City, Idaho-
based company's managers have a different source of employees: prison.



"We've gone as far as hiring the college students just to get
through," Tom Sessions, a supervisor at SunGlo, told The Associated
Press on Friday. "We got rid of that and got the inmates."

Idaho isn't alone in shoring up farmworker shortages with convicts.
Colorado started a program last month.

States using inmates to augment crews picking fruits and vegetables
highlight a reality in agricultural America: Hispanic workers are in
tight supply. Jobs in the construction economy lure them from the
farms and the intensifying spotlight on illegal immigration along
America's e southern border has cut the number of prospective
laborers willing to come north.

A comprehensive immigration reform bill pushed by President Bush
collapsed Thursday in the U.S. Senate.

Still, some Western lawmakers now say they'll try to resurrect an
"AgJobs" provision of Bush's plan that could open the way to legal
status for those migrants who work in U.S. agriculture and fulfill
certain conditions. They aim to combine the provision with Bush's $4
billion plan to enforce border security.

"I started immediately seeing if it would be possible to put together
a border enforcement package along with a guest worker program for
American agriculture," said U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, long an
advocate of the guest-worker plan. "Following the 4th of July break,
I'll explore the possibility of doing that in Congress."

Craig was among supporters of Bush's bill, which fell 14 votes short
of the 60 needed to stay alive.

Among Northwest senators, Democratic Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and
Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell of Washington state voted with Craig.

While Sens. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Gordon Smith, R-Oregon, opposed
the measure, both are more likely to support a scaled-back initiative
that excludes controversial provisions some lawmakers said amounted
to amnesty for 12 million illegal aliens.

Smith, who owns a frozen foods company, sponsored a 1999 AgJobs bill.
It would have given permanent resident status to farmworkers who'd
worked here for five years.

"The senator has said Congress needs to act first on border
enforcement, then turn to a clearer path to citizenship - and a jobs
program that meets the needs of the economy," R.C. Hammond, a
spokesman for Smith in Washington, D.C., told the AP when asked about
the guest-worker program.

Crapo co-sponsored Smith's legislation eight years ago.

He said Friday he'd work with Craig.

"Even though the particular bill on the floor was rejected, that
doesn't mean that a majority - a very strong majority of senators -
don't think we need to do something," Crapo said.

Farmers from Washington state to New York lament labor shortages that
have cost them millions, ranging from orchard owners who left
thousands of trees unplanted to unpicked asparagus. The Western
Growers Association, which represents 3,000 fruit and vegetable
farmers in California and elsewhere, estimates labor shortages of
between 20 percent and 30 percent across California.

More than half of the nation's 1.8 million farmworkers are estimated
to be here illegally.

"We want a legal work force, and the only way we can get that is
through immigration reform," said Jasper Hempel, a lobbyist for the
Western Growers Association. "While we're not pushing for AgJobs as a
separate issue, we'll consider it, if that was the only thing we
could get."

Meanwhile, states such as Idaho that have bolstered farmworkers with
felons say it's a temporary solution. Their prisons are virtually
tapped out.

Six years ago, Idaho had 18 inmates from the St. Anthony Work Camp at
potato plants. Today, there are 120.

"The reduction in the labor pool of migrant workers has increased
probably 10-fold the use of offenders," said Idaho Correction
Department Lt. Jim Woolf, who oversees inmate workers. "I've got
several potato warehouses that would love to have a crew of 15 to 20
inmates to offset the labor shortages. We don't have enough inmates."





http://realcostofprisons.org/blog/archi ... to_fi.html

'Going so far as to hire college students' - now that sounds radical.

College students have never worked in America's fields before -

Isn't that a really ridiculous statement.

I think the idea of convict labor is a very good thing.

[quote]"We've gone as far as hiring the college students just to get
through," Tom Sessions, a supervisor at SunGlo, told The Associated
Press on Friday. "We got rid of that and got the inmates." [/quote]


What...is that suppose to mean????? I picked potatoes in elementary school...do we pick bad...?????????I mean the field is turned and you follow the truck placing potatoes in the burlap sack till it is full????sheezzh
but on the other hand inmates are fine to use...I mean they are both criminals right..... and are really cheap...so the farmer can save money to buy automated harvesters

I've heard the idea of putting prisoners out in the fields mentioned over and over. Refreshing to hear of some common sense approaches for a change.

Maybe it's time to "draft" Americans ages 18 to 21 to start working in the fields...similar to a military draft...hey, they get a suntan, get lots of exercise, and get to save money for college. The farmers provide housing, if necessary. What do you think?

Ostrich

first, senators like U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho have to be not re-elected!

Secondly, the use of convicts is a great idea. From what I see in CA, many of the convicts are illegals anyway !

Thirdly we need to explain to our representatives that the people need to be represented more than businesses. Profits should not come above all else. Especially the future of our very way of life.

I'll take prison potatos over illegal potatos any day. If I was a prisoner I'd volunteer just for the time out. They could put the money towards the inmates family or in an account for when they'r released.

We don't have enough inmates."

If they have extra room for more prisoners we should send them some from the overcrowded jails full of illegals. Be warned... commit crimes and you're headed to Idaho to dig potatos. That'll fix'em!

YUMMY PRISON POTATOS mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

It is a sad day in America when senators would rather give jobs to illegal aliens then the people of their own country in need of training and a job skill.

One of the reasons so many Americans are in jail today can be directly attributed to illegal immigration.

Constantly hearing that no real American wants to work in any part of the farming industry just works wonders for the young folks that will never know the satisfaction of raising a crop that will feed thousands.

I know it , I love it . Worked side by side with Mexicans still wet behind the ears most of my youthful years and loved every minute of it. Made a lot of friends for life hoeing beets and rouging seed crops.

Worked on dams , put up iron , did a lot of things over the course of my working years. From the first job to the last I had over 158 jobs according to the SSA.

Got fired twice. Oh well.

I think pulling folks out of the jails and putting them into the work place is good as long as they are not in for violent crimes or crimes of a predatory nature.

Fact is , most folks seem to be in jail today for drug offenses. South of the border type drugs in fact. Our people first , then when everything is running smoothly , think about the neighbors needs.