Labels for LifeLabels for Life will give tips for organizing your life, home and office.

Another Valentine’s Day has come and gone and while loved ones and intended amours are busy looking at the labels of the goodies they have been bought, one thing they are not going to see is, “Made in Prison.”

Yet that is precisely the spot where many Valentine’s Day gifts are made and the honor roll of companies will make you blink more than once: Starbucks, Victoria’s Secret, Nintendo, Shelby Sports and the list goes on and on.

For decades prison labor has been exploited by large corporations and major name brands precisely because the labor is as cheap as any sweat shop operation in a Third World country but at the same time, the manufacturer gets to put “Made in America” on it. Prison reform and fair trade groups are banding together to get a law passed to make it compulsory that where prison labor is used, then the label will reflect that fact. The argument goes that big corporations are making high margins on these products precisely because of the low labor overhead, no unions and lack of any benefits such as medical or a 401(k) and so consumers should not be ripped off by being overcharged and it is still wrong to exploit labor no matter what the circumstances. Another compelling point in today’s economically constrained times is that jobs are being taken from the mainstream labor market because of the cheap prison labor.

The manufacturers disagree; this is job skills training that a prisoner is otherwise not going to be able to get and leading to jobs on the outside, frequently with the manufacturer who employed their skills in prison and no matter what the financial implication, the prisoners are rewarded financially for their work as well as with privileges not otherwise available. More than this, many of the jobs would otherwise be done overseas using cheaper labor than the mainstream so the impact overall on the US economy is still positive no matter what the cost of labor.

Nevertheless, are consumers going to buy a high class garment with “Made in Prison” stamped on the label? Do folks even care if barcode labels are literally made behind bars?

Related articles

• Get Customized Shipping Labels That Get You Noticed (easyordershippinglabels.com)
• Products Liability – An Overview of the Law of Dangerous and Defective Products (allenandallen.com)
• Make Sure Your Asset Tags & Labels Work: Surface Preparation (easyorderassettags.com)
• American prison labor used to build Patriot missiles for UAE arms deal (boingboing.net)

All sorts of bar code labels can be customized for various ways in which you might use them.  From small sizes with just the bar codes to barcodes with images for your bottles or cans or various sized packages.

You can have labels for CDs you have for sale and for various products with your company name on them.  Such as:

For outdoor use waterproof labels can be customized in sizes required.

You may want to post hazard warning labels.

Or maybe you need promotion, business signs or custom bumper stickers.  These signs are now available in vinyl.  They are durable enough to endure outdoor conditions.  They are hardy and scuff and UV resistant.  Made as they are with flexible material, they work well even on curved surfaces.  The pressure sensitive adhesive used, make them durable with a minimum outdoor life of 3 to 5 years.  They can withstand a temperature range of -40º F to 176º F.  They are available in rugged white vinyl or transparent polyester with UV inks.  They can be used indoors or out on windows, signs, vehicles or your products.

Maverick Label can help with your barcode labels and all printing needs stated in this article.