Oklahoma Correctional Centers Utilize Inmate Labor for Telemarketing and Political Polling
Oklahoma correctional centers, specifically James Crabtree, Mabel Bassett, Lexington Correctional, and Joseph Harp, have established call centers where inmates are employed for telemarketing and political polling activities. These operations are managed through contracts between the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC) and HBW Leads, a company that also operates Visible Trends, specializing in political campaigns. Inmates, such as Steve Wilbanks, have reported making calls for insurance companies and political entities, including a Virginia-based super PAC called Make Liberty Win, which aims to elect conservative lawmakers. The contracts stipulate that HBW Leads pays ODOC $10 per inmate hour, with inmates earning $2 per hour plus potential bonuses. The remaining $8 per hour is allocated to Oklahoma Correctional Industries for overhead. Some inmates have expressed discomfort with the partisan nature of certain calls, describing them as 'push-polling' rather than genuine surveys, and noted their unfamil... 
