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1894 illustration of chain gang performing manual labour.

A chain gang is a group of prisoners chained together to perform menial or physically challenging labor, such as chipping stone, often along a highway or rail bed. This system existed primarily in the United States, and by 1955, had been phased out of use nationwide. However, some states reintroduced the chain gang system beginning in the 1990s, and nations other than the U.S. have used it in the past. Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 476 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,089 × 648 pixels, file size: 133 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 476 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,089 × 648 pixels, file size: 133 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... A chain gang can refer to: In a criminal justice system, a chain gang is a system of labor (usually forced) that involves groups of prisoners, chained together, doing menial labor; Railroad chain gang, a railroad crew assigned to operate a group of trains which are not part of regular...

Synonyms and disambiguation

A single ankle shackle with a short length of chain attached to a heavy ball is known as a ball and chain and was meant to limit prisoner movement and impede escape. A shackle is a U-shaped piece of metal secured with a pin or bolt across the opening, or a hinged metal loop secured with a quick-release locking pin mechanism. ...

Two ankle shackles attached to each other by a short length of chain are known as a hobble or as leg irons. These could be chained to a much longer chain with several other prisoners, creating a work crew known as a chain gang. The walk required to avoid tripping while in leg irons is known as the convict shuffle. Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... Fetters, shackles or leg irons are a kind of physical restraint used on the feet or ankles. ...

A group of prisoners working outside prison walls under close supervision, but without chains, is a work gang. Their distinctive attire (stripe wear or orange vests or jumpsuits) serves the purpose of displaying their punishment to the public, as well as making them easily identifiable if they attempt to escape. Whatever deterrent effect that may have on potential criminals, the lack of actual chains makes a modern work gang much safer than a traditional chain gang. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The use of chains could be extremely hazardous. Some of the chains used in the Georgia system in the first half of the twentieth century weighed twenty pounds. Some prisoners suffered from shackle sores — ulcers where the iron ground against their skin. Gangrene and other infections were serious risks. Falls could imperil several individuals at once.

Modern prisoners are sometimes put into handcuffs or wrist manacles (similar to handcuffs, but with a longer length of chain) and leg irons, with both sets of manacles (wrist and ankle) being chained to a belly chain. This form of restraint is most often used on prisoners expected to be violent, or prisoners appearing in a setting where they may be near the public (a courthouse) or have an opportunity to flee (being transferred from a prison to a court). Although prisoners in these restraints are sometimes chained to one another during transport or other movement, this is not a chain gang — although reporters may refer to it as such — because the restraints make any kind of work impossible. Prisoners restrained this way may have their hands chained so close to the waist that they cannot use a pen, or touch their own faces; they cannot work. A pair of handcuffs Handcuffs are restraint devices designed to secure an individuals wrists close together. ... Hiatts Speedcuffs in holster, as used by UK police A model wearing handcuffs, waist chain, and thumbcuffs Old handcuffs Handcuffs are restraints designed to secure an individuals wrists close together. ... A belly chain is a type of jewelry worn around the waist. ...

History of chain gangs

1842 illustration of chain gang going to work near Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Various claims as to the purpose of chain gangs have been offered, some unsubstantiated. These include: Image File history File links Chain_gang_-_convicts_going_to_work_nr. ... Image File history File links Chain_gang_-_convicts_going_to_work_nr. ...

• Punitive punishment^{[citation needed]},
• Societal restitution for the cost of housing, feeding, and guarding the inmates. The money earned by work performed goes to offset prison expenses by providing a large workforce at no cost for government projects, and at minimal convict leasing cost for private businesses^{[citation needed]}.
• A way of perpetuating African-American slavery after the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution ended slavery^[1],
• Reducing inmates' idleness^{[citation needed]},
• To serve as a deterrent to crime as well as satisfy the needs of politicians to appear "tough on crime"^{[citation needed]}.

The use of chain gangs in the United States generally ended in 1955.^{[citation needed]} Chain gangs experienced a resurgence when Alabama began to use them again in 1995^[1]. This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... Amendment XIII in the National Archives The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution officially abolished, and continues to prohibit slavery and, with limited exceptions (those convicted of a crime), prohibits involuntary servitude. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ...

Reintroduction and criticisms

Some jurisdictions, such as Alabama and Arizona, have re-introduced the chain gang. In recent years, Maricopa County, Arizona, which is the county that covers Phoenix, Arizona, and its controversial sheriff Joe Arpaio, has drawn attention from human rights groups for its use of chain gangs for both men and women. Arizona's modern chain gangs, rather than chipping rocks or other non-productive tasks, often do real work of economic benefit to a correctional department. Opponents note that the gangs often work outside in oppressive desert heat; others note that participation in Maricopa County's chain gangs is voluntary, not mandatory, and that everyone else who does outdoor work there must do so in heat as well. This article is about the U.S. State. ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... Maricopa County is located in the central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. ... Nickname: Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona Coordinates: , Country State County Maricopa Incorporated February 25, 1881 Government  - Type Council-Manager  - Mayor Phil Gordon (D) Area  - City  515. ... Joseph M. (Joe) Arpaio (born June 14, 1932 in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States) is a law enforcement officer and the sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. ...

A year after reintroducing the chain gang in 1995, Alabama was forced to again abandon the practice pending a lawsuit from, among other organizations, the Southern Poverty Law Center. "They realized that chaining them together was inefficient; that it was unsafe," said attorney Richard Cohen of the organization. However, as late as 2000, Alabama Prison Commissioner, Ron Jones has again proposed reintroducing the chain gang. Like historical chain gangs, their reintroduced cousins have been compared to slavery in academic circles.^[2] The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American non-profit legal organization, whose stated purpose is to combat racism and promote civil rights through research, education and litigation. ...

Culture

Motion pictures

• I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang was an award-winning movie released in 1932, which depicted the degrading and inhumane treatment on chain gangs in the post-World War I era.
• O Brother, Where Art Thou? featured chain gangs.
• Cool Hand Luke
• American Chain Gang is a 1999 is documentary about male and female inmates in the recently revived prison chain gangs.
• Life - Starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence and features them working on a chain gang.
• The Last Hard Men - The beginning scene features James Coburn escaping from a chain gang.
• The Green Mile - This acclaimed film features brief opening shots of a chain gang during the 1930s.
• The Longest Yard
• Robin Hood (Disney)
• The Defiant Ones
• Take the Money and Run - Woody Allen's '69 mockumentary about a born loser's foolish life of crime and punishment features Allen ("Virgil") in several funny scenes on a chain gang about 70 minutes into the film. Eventually one day on the ride back to prison, Allen and others on the chain are convinced by a self-proclaimed schizophrenic on the chain to escape after another day of back-breaking, demoralizing work. Allen thinks he's crazy but they all agree to do it and succeed. But they never get unchained, so the other chained guys accompany Allen around for a few more scenes, eventually to his wife, Louise, who finally removes the chains.

The Simpsons - Upon accidentally killing 'Captain Jack' (the florida state mascot - an alligator) The Simpsons family get arrested and put in a chain gang. Paul Muni plays a prisoner working on the chain gang I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is a 1932 movie in which Paul Muni stars as a wrongly accused escapee from a brutal chain gang. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... For the film soundtrack, see O Brother, Where Art Thou? (soundtrack). ... Cool Hand Luke is a 1967 American film starring Paul Newman and directed by Stuart Rosenberg. ... Life (1999) is a comedy drama starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence. ... For other uses, see Eddie Murphy (disambiguation). ... Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence (born April 16, 1965, in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany) is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. ... James Coburn in Sam Peckinpahs Cross of Iron (1977). ... This article is about the 1999 film adaptation. ... This article is about the 1974 film. ... Robin Hood is an animated film produced by the Walt Disney Studios, first released in the United States on November 8, 1973. ... The Defiant Ones is a 1958 film which tells about two escaped prisoners who are shackled together, one white and one black, who must co-operate in order to survive. ... Take the Money and Run is a 1969 comedy film co-written by, directed by and starring Woody Allen. ... Woody Allen (born Allen Stewart Königsberg on December 1, 1935) is a three-time Academy Award-winning American film director, writer, actor, jazz musician, comedian, and playwright. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Schizophrenia is a psychiatric diagnosis denoting a persistent, often chronic, mental illness variously affecting behavior, thinking, and emotion. ... Simpsons redirects here. ...

Music

• Circa 1947, Woody Guthrie, Alec Seward, and Sonny Terry recorded several chain gang related songs including "Chain Gang Special," and several other older songs adapted to having chain gang themes. They were released on the Cleopatra compilation Best Of The War Years. Guthrie had also previously written other chain gang songs, including "Chain Around My Leg," which was released on the Library Of Congress Recordings.
• Legendary soul singer Sam Cooke recorded a hit song in the 1960's called Chain Gang (also covered by Otis Redding).
• Back on the Chain Gang is a popular song from the Pretenders album Learning to Crawl.
• Work Song written by Oscar Brown, Jr, Nat Adderley and recorded by Nina Simone on the albums Forbidden Fruit (1961) and High Priestess of Soul (1967). It tells the story of someone sentenced to 5 years on a chain gang.
• Chain Gang was written and performed by Johnny Cash.
• Danish noise rock n roll duo The Raveonettes recorded an album entitled Chain Gang of Love in 2002.
• Scissor Sisters mentions chain gangs in the chorus of the song Everybody Wants the Same Thing from their second album Ta-Dah.
• Skid Row (heavy metal band) recorded "Livin' on a Chain Gang" for their second album Slave to the Grind in 1991.

Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (July 14, 1912–October 3, 1967) was a prolific American songwriter and folk musician. ... Sonny Terry performing live at Nambassa festival 1981. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Chain Gang is the name of a song written and recorded by Sam Cooke. ... Otis Ray Redding, Jr. ... The Pretenders are an Anglo-American rock band. ... After a more than two-year hiatus - during which time James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon both died of drug overdose - new wave pioneers The Pretenders released their third album in 1984. ... Oscar Brown, Jr (October 10, 1926–May 29, 2005) was a singer, songwriter, playwright, poet, and civil rights activist. ... Nathaniel Adderley (November 25, 1931 - January 2, 2000) was an American jazz cornetist who played in the hard bop and soul jazz genres. ... Eunice Kathleen Waymon, better known by her stage name Nina Simone (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger and civil rights activist. ... In the Bible, the forbidden fruit is the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil eaten by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. ... High Priestess of Soul is a studio album by singer/pianist/songwriter Nina Simone (1933-2003). ... For the song of the same name, recorded by Tracy Byrd and later by Jason Aldean, see Johnny Cash (song). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Chain Gang of Love Chain Gang of Love is The Raveonettes second album. ... The Scissor Sisters are an American alternative band who formed in 2001. ... Ta-Dah is the second studio album by American 5-piece band Scissor Sisters, released in September 2006. ... Skid Row is an American heavy metal band which became the glam metal prototypes of the late 1980s metal scene and were successful until they were eclipsed by the Seattle grunge bands in 1991. ... Slave to the Grind is Skid Rows second album, released on June 11, 1991. ...

Dance

• "Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder" is a modern dance piece choereographed by Donald McKayle about chain gangs.

Donald McKayle is an influential modern dance choreographer who has worked with many dance legends, such as Martha Graham and Alvin Ailey. ...

Further reading

• Burns, Robert E. I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang! University of Georgia Press; Brown Thrasher Ed edition (October 1997; original copyright, late 1920's). ISBN 0820319430. Autobiography on which movie of the same name was based; best-seller responsible for exposing abuses of Southern chain gang system to national readership, leading to their termination.

• Colvin, Mark. Penitentiaries, Reformatories, and Chain Gangs: Social Theory and the History of Punishment in Nineteenth-Century America. Palgrave Macmillan (2000). ISBN: 0312221282.

• Lichtenstein, Alex. Twice the Work of Free Labor: The Political Economy of Convict Labor in the New South. Verso (1995). ISBN: 1859840868.

• Mancini, Matthew J. One Dies, Get Another: Convict Leasing in the American South, 1866-1928. University of South Carolina Press (1996). ISBN: 1570030839.

• Oshinsky, David M. Worse than Slavery: Parchman Farm and the Ordeal of Jim Crow Justice. (1997). ISBN: 0684830957.

• Curtin, Mary Ellen. Black Prisoners and Their World : Alabama, 1865-1900. University of Virginia Press (2000). ISBN: 0813919843

The International Standard Book Number, or ISBN (sometimes pronounced is-ben), is a unique[1] identifier for books, intended to be used commercially. ... The International Standard Book Number, or ISBN (sometimes pronounced is-ben), is a unique[1] identifier for books, intended to be used commercially. ... The International Standard Book Number, or ISBN (sometimes pronounced is-ben), is a unique[1] identifier for books, intended to be used commercially. ... The International Standard Book Number, or ISBN (sometimes pronounced is-ben), is a unique[1] identifier for books, intended to be used commercially. ... David M. Oshinsky is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American historian, currently chairing the history department at the University of Texas at Austin. ... The International Standard Book Number, or ISBN (sometimes pronounced is-ben), is a unique[1] identifier for books, intended to be used commercially. ... The International Standard Book Number, or ISBN (sometimes pronounced is-ben), is a unique[1] identifier for books, intended to be used commercially. ...

External links

• Movie of chain gang in Charleston, South Carolina; circa 1904
• The Labour of Doing Time

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Gorman, Tessa M. (March 1997). "Back on the Chain Gang: Why the Eighth Amendment and the History of Slavery Proscribe the Resurgence of Chain Gangs". California Law Review 85 (2): 441-478. doi:10.2307/3481074. Retrieved on 2007-09-26. 
2. ^ Meares, Tracey (February 1996), "Weak Link", The University of Chicago Magazine 88 (3), <http://magazine.uchicago.edu/9602/9602Voices.html>. Retrieved on 2007-09-26