Pirates within Prison  

Big brand companies who doubt the government to wipe out Thailand’s thriving billion dollar pirating industry would do well to confront the department of corrections about its role in the production of counterfeit clothing and goods within its prison system.

The numerous ‘Sweatshop’ factories spread amongst different buildings here within Bang Kwangs walls have seen a flourish of extra activity recently. New industrial sewing machines have been trucked in and batches of prisoners trained to operate them as production is increased in order to fulfill a huge new order for ‘Pirate’ clothing being produced using the ‘Diesel’ brand name. These ‘Sweatshops’ are owned wholly by individual guards or in partnership with their family, relations. Huge ‘Kick-backs’ are paid to the prison director and his cronies for allowing the unrestricted passage of raw materials into, and finished products out of the prison. As well as payments for the use of electricity and of course prisoners for their free labor pool.

The prisoners themselves are forced to work under threat of disciplinary action or loss of privileges such as visits and mail. They work all day, 7 days a week and have impossible quotas to fill. Their payment? Usually nothing, but occasionally a guard ‘Forman’ will actually make the connection between a well fed workforce and increased output and will pay them a few meager Baht per month so they are able to supplement their poor diets with fresh food.

The dept. of corrections meanwhile are happy to overlook this misuse of got. Property and the basic rights of prisoners in the pursuit of pure profit, not a cent of which is ploughed back in for the education of prisoners or their rehabilitation. Nice work if you can get it though I seriously doubt the ‘Diesel’ clothing company’s copyright department would see it that way!