Which act limited the interstate sale of prison-made goods in the 1930s?

Which act limited the interstate sale of prison-made goods in the 1930s?

• A. Hawes-Cooper Act
• B. Pride Act
• C. Ashurst-Sumners Act
• D. Punitive era

Answer: (C)

The key idea is how federal law expanded to bar moving prison-made goods across state lines, effectively cutting off interstate sales. The Ashurst-Sumners Act, enacted in 1935, strengthened earlier restrictions by making it a federal crime to transport prison-made goods in interstate or foreign commerce and by imposing penalties on those who knowingly ship or receive such items. This goes beyond simply labeling or restricting sales in principle; it directly targets the means of distributing prison-made products across state borders—the transportation chain—so interstate sale becomes a prosecutable offense. While earlier measures like the Hawes-Cooper Act started restricting prison-made goods in interstate commerce, the Ashurst-Sumners Act closed gaps and gave the federal government real enforcement teeth. The result was a more effective curb on the interstate market for prison-made goods during the 1930s.

The key idea is how federal law expanded to bar moving prison-made goods across state lines, effectively cutting off interstate sales. The Ashurst-Sumners Act, enacted in 1935, strengthened earlier restrictions by making it a federal crime to transport prison-made goods in interstate or foreign commerce and by imposing penalties on those who knowingly ship or receive such items. This goes beyond simply labeling or restricting sales in principle; it directly targets the means of distributing prison-made products across state borders—the transportation chain—so interstate sale becomes a prosecutable offense. While earlier measures like the Hawes-Cooper Act started restricting prison-made goods in interstate commerce, the Ashurst-Sumners Act closed gaps and gave the federal government real enforcement teeth. The result was a more effective curb on the interstate market for prison-made goods during the 1930s.