Yes they do, I’m not aware of any prisons in the US where you have to do the work it’s just it looks good to a parole board.
> Five states – Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi and Texas – force prisoners to work without pay.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/27/slavery-loop...
It’s subject to revocation. That makes for a powerful carrot. Refusal to work is one of the prohibited acts an inmate can do (called a “shot”) to get it taken away.
I have numerous issues with both. Would be happy if more Americans had issues with either.
Absence of evidence never equates with a fact that none exist.
Hence science is never final, just the facts.