Current and former inmates in Alabama are suing the state and private companies for allegedly profiting from a "modern-day form of slavery" in the form of prison labor. The lawsuit claims that inmates are forced to work for little or no pay in inhumane conditions, and seeks to abolish the state's "captive labor source" and award damages to prisoners. The lawsuit comes at a time when the Alabama Department of Corrections is already facing scrutiny for its treatment of inmates, and highlights the need for reform in the prison system.