The largest prison strike in US history is happening right now.

Citing a slurry of reasons, including  pennies for labor in South Carolina, racial discrimination in California and excessive force in Michigan, inmates across the country have rallied to protest the prison system.  Their overarching message:  End slavery inside of modern correctional facilities.

They're behind bars and, often, out of sight, so hearing about this may seem shocking and even unreal.  Many major news outlets, like ABC, MSNBC and the like have failed to report on it and the message is breaching social media at a time when we're suffering the world's premier reality television show in the US federal elections.

 "I used to think, 'Nah, that ain't America, that's China and Cuba,' " South Carolina inmate Harold Sasa told CNN from a contraband phone. "It's a system that's neither benefiting us nor the citizens outside."

The strike began on September 9, according to the Incarcerated Workers' Organizing Committee, a prisoner rights advocacy group.  The committee estimates that as many as 50,000 inmates have taken part in coordinated strikes, planning their endeavor though social media by using cell phones and snail mail.  The coordinated strike has taken place throughout, at least, 24 states.

"The fact that this was happening simultaneously in a number of states suggests a degree of planning and sophistication and community support that we haven't seen in recent years," said David Fathi, director of the ACLU National Prison Project.

The strike needs more attention and a solution for the thousands of inmates forced into slave labor.  Of course, prison has its place for holding dangerous criminals, but selling them off for cheap labor goes against one of the main tenants of the United States.  Maybe the 13th amendment needs an update, as slave labor is still permitted as punishment for crime.

"Part of the core mission of [our] agency is to promote a positive change in their behavior and prepare them for re-entry into society," says Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jason Clark. "We believe having a job is critical to their long-term success. While inmates are not paid, they can acquire marketable job skills which could lead to meaningful employment upon their release."

Easy for him to say, as he is not conscripted into slave labor.

My opinion?  We have to maintain that people in prison still have rights.  And, if we really want to help rehabilitate, we should enable them to make living wages so they're not released into poverty.