New York will make its own hand sanitizer using prisoners likely making pennies an hour
New York is rolling out its own hand sanitizer to combat coronavirus price gouging — and using some controversial practices to make it.
At a Monday press conference, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) acknowledged that shelves of hand sanitizer, soap, and other cleaning supplies had run empty and online resellers had taken advantage by charging exorbitant prices. So the state is making its own floral-scented hand sanitizer to distribute for free to schools, prisons, and municipalities, and Cuomo is considering selling it online if the price gouging continues.
New York's sanitizer is stronger than most on the market, and also costs far less. The latter is because it's being made by Corcraft, which pays incarcerated people around 65 cents an hour for their work. A Cuomo aide said prisoners at Great Meadow Correctional Facility upstate will make the sanitizer, and it'll cost New York about $6 per gallon to produce.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
New York City will similarly rely on prison labor if COVID-19 ravages the area. According to the city's Pandemic Influeza Surge Plan, last updated in 2008, Rikers Island prisoners will dig graves in a pandemic situation. That scenario seems very unlikely right now, as healthy and children and adults have recovered well from the new coronavirus infections.
Cuomo also reported there were 142 COVID-19 cases in New York state as of Monday, the most of any state.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Swiss bliss: Chenot Palace Weggis takes wellness to the next level
The Blend Heath retreat on Switzerland's Lake Lucerne offers a mid-winter reset
By Felix Bischof Published
-
Earth's mini-moon was the moon all along
Under the radar More lunar rocks are likely floating in space
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: February 4, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bitcoin surges above $100k in post-election rally
Speed Read Investors are betting that the incoming Trump administration will embrace crypto
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Enron mystery: 'sick joke' or serious revival?
Speed Read 23 years after its bankruptcy filing, the Texas energy firm has announced its resurrection
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US charges Indian tycoon with bribery, fraud
Speed Read Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been indicted by US prosecutors for his role in a $265 million scheme to secure solar energy deals
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published