Penal labor

Penal labor is when people who have broken the law are made to do work as a punishment instead of going to jail or paying a fine. You know how when you do something wrong, like not cleaning your room, your parent might make you do extra chores? Penal labor is kind of like that, but for grown-ups who have done much more serious things. The work that they do could be anything from making license plates to cleaning up streets, and it's meant to help them learn from their mistakes and be productive members of society. However, some people have concerns about penal labor being used as a form of modern-day slavery, where prisoners are exploited for their labor with little pay or rights.