Judge Richard A. Miller sentenced Brad McGahey to a rehab program called CAAIR. CAAIR stands for “Christian Alcoholics and Addicts in Recovery.” Sentencing was on August 10,2010, in Marshall County, Oklahoma. McGahey was facing a one year prison term in State prison. Judge Miller said, “you need to learn a work ethic, I’m sending you to CAAIR.”
“People called it “The Chicken Farm”, a rural retreat where defendants stayed for a year, got addiction treatment and learned to live more productive lives. Most were sent there by courts from across Oklahoma and neighboring states, part of the nationwide push to keep nonviolent offenders out of prison.”…Aside from Dr. Pepper, McGahey wasn’t addicted to anything. “The Judge knew that, but the chicken farm sounded better than prison.”
“A few weeks later, McGahey stood in front of a speeding conveyor belt inside a frigid poultry plant, pulling guts and stray feathers from slaughtered chickens destined for major fast food restaurants and grocery stores.”
“There wasn’t much substance abuse treatment at CAAIR. It was mostly factory work for one of America’s top poultry companies. If McGahey got hurt or worked too slowly, his bosses threatened him with prison…and he worked for free. CAAIR pocketed the pay.”…”It was a slave camp”, McGahey said. “I can’t believe the court sent me there.”…”soon, it would get worse.”…
…”Judges are steering defendants into rehabs that are little more than lucrative work camps for private industry, an investigation by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, has found.”…..”the program’s promise freedom from addiction. Instead, they’ve turned thousands of men and women into indentured servants.”
“The beneficiaries of these programs span the country, from Fortune 500 companies to factories and local businesses. The defendants work at a Coca-Cola bottling plant in Oklahoma, a construction firm in Alabama, a nursing home in North Carolina.”
CAAIR was founded in 2007 by chicken company executives struggling to find workers. “At CAAIR, about 200 men live on a compound in northeastern Oklahoma, and most work full time at Simmons Foods Inc., a $1.4 Billion annual revenue company. They slaughter and process chickens for Walmart, KFC and Popeyes….they also make pet food for Petsmart and Rachel Ray’s Nutrish brand.”
“Chicken processing plants are notoriously dangerous and understaffed. The hours are long, the pay is low and the conditions are brutal.”…”Men in the CAAIR program said their hands become gnarled after days spent hanging thousands of chickens from metal shackles. One man said he was burned with acid while hosing down a trailer. Others were maimed by machines or contracted serious bacterial infections…those who were hurt and could no longer work often were kicked out of CAAIR and sent to prison, court records show. Most men worked through the pain, fearing the same fate.”…”They work you to death. They work you every single day”, said Nate Turner, who graduated from CAAIR in 2015. “It’s a work camp. They know people are desperate to get out of jail and they’ll do whatever they can do to stay out of prison.”
“To unearth this story, Reveal interviewed scores of former participants and employees, court officials and judges, and reviewed hundreds of pages of court documents, tax filings and worker’s compensation records…at some rehabs, defendants get to keep their pay. At CAAIR and many others, they do not.”…”Legal experts said forcing defendants to work for free, violates their constitutional rights. The 13 th Amendment bans slavery…”
“Drug courts in Oklahoma are required to send defendants for treatment at certified programs with trained counselors and State oversight. CAAIR is UNcertified. Only one of its 3 counselors is licensed, and NO State agency regulates it.”
McGahey hurt his hand in an accident on the job. He was told by administrators of CAAIR, if he didn’t go back to work, he’d be sent to prison and none of his time working would count towards his one year prison sentence. McGahey said, “I’ll take prison over this place; anywhere is better than here.” …”Reveal found that when men got hurt, CAAIR filed worker’s compensation claims and kept the payouts. Injured men and their families never saw a dime.” …”Courts still send defendants to CAAIR, and the program is expanding. Simmons Foods donated funds for a third dormitory to house dozens more men…CAAIR is now planning a fourth dormitory. It’s supposed to be the biggest yet.”
“Sharon Cain runs the drug court in rural Stephens County, Oklahoma, and decides where to send defendants for treatment. She said State regulators don’t stop her from using CAAIR.” …”I do what I wanna do. They don’t mess with me”, she said. The ACLU of Oklahoma, is considering legal action in response to Reveal’s reporting….”About 280 men are sent to CAAIR each year by courts throughout Oklahoma, as well as Arkansas, Texas and Missouri.” -tulsaworld.com. 10/6/17.
Conclusion: If slave labor camps are allowed to exist in Oklahoma, with the full endorsement of the State, it is safe to assume there are similar situations/ camps, all across America, in many, if not all states. It is also safe to assume, that judges, court officials, state officials, are being paid off by these corporate slave compound owners, to not say or do anything, and look the other way. There is absolutely no conceivable way that numerous officials, judges, cannot know what the hell is actually going on, in these compounds. / Done
Most people I believe are good people. Then there are those who will always do whatever they can to make a buck. And if that means using other people to do it well then, that’s what they’ll do. Americans are still buying Nike sneakers even though Nike uses the slave labor of the Uighurs in China to produce their products. Unfortunately, this is part of human nature. We are still the smartest animals on earth, nonetheless, we are just animals.