Limit forced labor in state prisons
Jump to section
What did voters decide?
What would it do?
Proposition 6 would amend the California Constitution to prohibit the state from punishing inmates with involuntary work assignments and from disciplining those who refuse to work. Instead, state prisons could set up a volunteer work assignment program to take time off sentences in the form of credits. It would let county or city ordinances set up a pay scale for inmates in local jails.
The measure’s potential costs remain unknown and a point of contention, though a related law says compensation would be set by the state corrections department.
Why is it on the ballot?
California wasn’t a slave state, but it does have a history of forced labor. Lawmakers created a reparations task force and directed it to address historical inequities that harmed Black residents. The task force recommended changing the state constitution to prohibit any form of enslavement as one of 14 key priorities this session.
Legislators considered a similar measure in 2022, but support tanked after the California Department of Finance estimated that it would cost about $1.5 billion annually to pay minimum wage to prisoners. This year’s amendment has the voluntary work program as a way to get around that issue.
Of about 90,000 inmates, the state’s prison system employs nearly 40,000 who complete a variety of tasks such as construction, yard work, cooking, cleaning and firefighting. Most of them earn less than 74 cents an hour, although inmate firefighters can earn as much as $10 a day. California’s minimum wage is $16 an hour, and state law permits the corrections department to pay up to half of that rate.
Take the Prop Quiz
Find out if you agree or disagree with Proposition 6 to inform your 2024 ballot →
For
$1.9M raised
Supporters say that prisoners are often retaliated against for turning down assignments that can be dangerous or life threatening. It’s inhumane, they say, to have to work long hours on jobs that do not necessarily contribute to future skills for little pay.
They also cite the growing number of states — including Colorado, Alabama, Tennessee and Vermont in recent years — that have adopted similar measures, though California would have stronger language against retaliation toward inmates.
Supporters
- ACLU California Action
- Anti-Recidivism Coalition
- California Democratic Party
- California Teachers Association
- California Black Legislative Caucus
- California Labor Federation
- League of Women Voters of California
- Council on American-Islamic Relations, California
- U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee and Maxine Waters
- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass
Media Endorsements
Against
$0 raised
An official ballot argument against the measure has not been filed. But a few Republican legislators voted against it. It reflects their larger opposition to reparations efforts by the state at a time when the budget deficit is a top priority.
Critics in other states have said that the current work system helps inmates and promotes necessary order in facilities aiming to rehabilitate inmates. Some say that upending that system by allowing inmates to turn down assignments could eventually make it more difficult to manage prisons.
Opponents
- Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
- California Republican Party
Media Endorsements
Funders
Polling Data
Related News
Free to read, but not free to produce
We’re CalMatters, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom for Californians.
We’re proud that our Voter Guide, which informs millions of people each election, is free for everyone.
We need your help to continue doing critical work that informs voters.
If you can, a modest donation will help us publish quality election information now. And together, we’ll continue holding elected leaders accountable every day of the year.
Please make today the day you support quality journalism. Every donation helps.