Very good writing and thorough coverage.<p>> A central element of the Black Codes was “vagrancy” laws. Through a system known as “convict leasing”, many African-American boys and men were arrested for minor offences such as vagrancy, imprisoned, and then leased out to work for private businesses. This created a new system of forced labour which again was little more than slavery. Convict leasing was legally rooted in the so-called “exception clause” of the 13th Amendment which states, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States.”<p>This is I think the primary reason our justice system is so messed up. Convict Leasing was and is a barbaric practice.<p>I highly recommend this book<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_by_Another_Name" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_by_Another_Name</a><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convict_leasing" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convict_leasing</a><p>> For example, in 1898, 73% of Alabama's annual state revenue came from convict leasing.<p>To think we are turning a blind eye to this in the world. It makes the US even more of a hypocrite.