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Episode 70 · The Economics of Everyday Things

70. Prison Labor

31 Aug 2026 · 20 min

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Episode notes

Incarcerated people grow crops, fight wildfires, and manufacture everything from motor oil to prescription glasses — often for pennies per hour. Zachary Crockett reports from North Carolina. This episode was originally published on November 10th, 2024.

Podcast

The Economics of Everyday Things

Freakonomics Network & Zachary Crockett · Business · English

Who decides which snacks are in your office’s vending machine? How much is a suburban elm tree worth, and to whom? How did Girl Scout Cookies become a billion-dollar business? In bite-sized episodes, journalist Zachary Crockett looks at quotidian things and finds amazing stories. To get every show

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