If you are part of “Black Twitter”, “Socialist Twitter”, or “Ultra-Liberal Twitter”, the latter also known simply as “Twitter”, you know that the United States is the world’s leading jailer, incarcerating more men and women than any other country in the world. There are deplorable reasons for this — the prison-industrial complex that has deep ties to elected officials, the failed “War On Drugs” — and there are admirable reasons for this, like the fact that we don’t stone people to death in the street for minor offenses the way they do in many Islamic countries.
It’s a little-known fact that most people in non-supermax prisons have jobs, ranging from “porter”, which is like a janitor, to database administrator for the prison education program, to make up a random example, of course. These jobs usually pay something on the order of twenty cents an hour. Most of the products of that work go right back into the prison; if you do time in Ohio, as an example, you’ll be issued a set of “state boots” every year or so. Those “state boots” are suede chukkas made by prisoners and constructed almost entirely from materials harvested at Ohio penitentiaries. This closed economy keeps people busy and, in theory at least, cuts the costs of incarceration.
There are exceptions to this general rule of Third World pay and prison-oriented products, however, and the Eastern Oregon Correctional Facility is kinda-sorta one of them.
Inmates there can earn $100 a month or more making clothes and learning the skills involved in cutting, stitching, and sewing. As is the case elsewhere, much of the product stays in the penitentiary system, but some of it is sold via the Prison Blues brand. As fate would have it, I’ve been looking for a decent American-made denim jacket for some time. The last denim jacket I had was cut off my limp body back in 1988 after I was dragged a couple of hundred feet by a ten-wheel truck. In the years that followed, the denim jacket went decidedly downscale, being restricted mostly to proles and hicks and whatnot.
This is 2016, however, and if you want to participate in the hipster-motorcycle scene, a denim jacket is an important part of the look. Enter the Prison Blues denim work coat, available for slightly under fifty dollars. It’s sewn from heavy, rugged fabric that is in no way related to the Cone Mills Selvedge you’d get in an LA-made Brave Star. There’s a “Prison Blues” patch on the outside and the brass buttons have an image of a heavily-barred door. It appears to be hugely durable, but only time will tell.
The only downside of this jacket, as far as I can tell, is the semi-amusing “Prison Blues” branding. As with the infamous Isuzu VehiCROSS Ironman Edition, you should be prepared to be asked if you’ve been in prison. In fact, one could argue that you shouldn’t even be wearing this thing if you haven’t done time. As a former inmate of three different Catholic schools, however, I feel entirely justified in putting it on.
If you’re uncomfortable with the branding, you can check this list of twenty-five American-made denim jackets. It’s slightly outdated — Lucky, RL Polo, and a few of the other major vendors have abandoned the idea of USA manufacturing — but many of the links still work. So pick your jacket, get your patches ready, and I’ll be seeing you at Escape to Hazzard County this year!
why are you looking to complete your Canadian Tuxedo when they won’t let you into the country?
😉 (yes, I listened to Barkcast #1)
Canadian??! I was led to believe that the denim + demon look was a TEXAS tuxedo. It even sounds right. Rolls right off the tongue.
I refuse to support the prison industrial complex. Both because I refuse to incentivize incarceration, but also because products made by involuntary servants (whether they are in prison or China) at $0.20/hr compete with non-prisoner workers in the USA.
I had the same concern, which is why I looked into this particular program a little further. To begin with, it pays better than the normal prison labor. It’s considered honor-farm-style work, meaning that prisoners apply and/or compete to get the work instead of being forced onto an assembly line.
For me, the bottom line is that it offers a hand up of sorts to people who wouldn’t get one otherwise. But I completely understand and empathize with your position.
Long after they went out of style, I still had my Levi’s jacket for motorcycle riding. Then my wife replaced it with a new stone washed off-brand blue jean jacket (that looked older and worse than my old, worn out Levis jacket). She still maintained that they were out of style, but put up with my insistence on wearing it for bike riding. Then one day it warmed up, I took the jacket and rolled it into a ball, then bungie-strapped it to the seat behind me. Somehow it got loose and ended up on the pavement. I circled back and looked for miles in heavy traffic before finding it. The traffic had tore it up and there was nothing left to wear. Never replaced.
The Yard Jacket looks interesting, wish they made it in a Nomex material. Would go over good here at the plant.
Wait ;
I have to be a jerkoff hipster to wear my old Levi denim jackets ? .
They’re pretty raggedy and these look O.K. , I don’t like the poseur pre washed look though .
Didn’t you post up a ‘ Made In America ‘ link for lots of stuff a while back ? .
I could use it , can’t find American made light bulbs anywhere and I’m running out .
-Nate
Try these guys:aamsco.com
Nate
I go to this one often;
http://americansworking.com/
Love my Prison Blu jeans. I’m in Pendleton quite a bit for work, so I bought a pair once. Longest lasting jeans that are affordable. Nice to avoid the shipping and taxes as well. A few times I’ve stopped by the Woolen Mill to see if there are any good deals for a blanket around the house.
Next time I’m over there, I’d like to get fitted for some new boots as my old Justin boots are 25 years old and another brand owned by Buffett.
California license plates are still made at Folsom prison, the old-fashioned way. I wonder if the prisoner felt a twinge while stamping out the RUNNOFT vanity plates that we recently got for my wife’s minivan.
THANK YOU ! .
Bookmarked and will be widely shared .
-Nate
When I was in , the yard jackets looked similar but had a nice blanket materiel liner , I tried to take one when I left but they were really strict about that =8-( .
-Nate