CA Voters Reject Prop. 6; Forced Labor Will Continue In Prisons

CALIFORNIA — Voters rejected Proposition 6, which would have banned California from forcing prison inmates to work. It is the last piece of the state constitution that allows slavery.

California voters expressed a strong stance on crime this election season, backing measures that toughen penalties, extend prison time for certain offenses, and retain forced labor as part of the punishment for incarcerated Californians.

The race, called by the Associated Press on Sunday, marks a setback for the Golden State's reparations effort, a movement that seeks to abolish remaining forms of slavery. The California Black Legislative Caucus previously proposed the amendment.

"While it’s disappointing that our measure to remove slavery from California’s constitution was not approved by the voters, this setback does not end the fight," Democratic Assemblymember Lori Wilson wrote in a statement on Friday morning, according to CalMatters. "Together, we will continue pushing forward to ensure that our state’s constitution reflects the values of equality and freedom that all Californians deserve."

Some 40,000 California inmates work jobs involuntarily, earning wages that range from $0.16 to $0.74 per hour cleaning headstones, doing dishes, working construction, packaging goods, hospice care, masonry work and more, according to multiple reports.

Advocates of the incarcerated argue that forced labor is inhumane and extremely low wages do not set individuals up for success upon release.

“By paying people a slave wage right now, they are all but ensuring that people are going to end up in poverty once they leave custody,” Jacob Hutt, an attorney with the Prison Law Office told KQED in April after inmates received a modest increase in wages.

Inmates who do not complete their shifts are subject to punishments such as losing family visitation privileges — regardless of illness, injury or bereavement, CalMatters reported.

Alternatively, the Conservation Fire Camp Program — run by CalFire in collaboration with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation — requires that inmates volunteer to participate in the program and become firefighters. In other words, no inmates are forced to work in fire camps.

Inmates also earn slightly more while working for CalFire and can earn "time credits," which can shave days off of their sentences. Volunteers must have eight years or less remaining on their sentence to be considered, according to the state.

Depending on skill level, fire crew inmates can earn between $5.80 and $10.24 per day, paid by CDCR. Crew members fighting wildfires can earn $1 per hour paid by CalFire. Inmates also can work a 24-hour shift in exchange for 24 hours of paid rest time, according to CDCR.

Although no campaigns spent money to oppose Prop. 30, nearly 54% of voters wanted to keep inmates working, according to the California Secretary of State's office.

Meanwhile, in Nevada, a similar measure passed with 60% of the vote.

Yannick Ortega, a formerly incarcerated woman who now works at an addiction recovery center in Fresno, California, was forced to work various jobs during the first half of her time serving 20 years in prison for a murder conviction, she said.

“When you are sentenced to prison, that is the punishment,” said Ortega, who later became a certified paralegal and substance abuse counselor by pursuing her education while working in prison. “You’re away from having the freedom to do anything on your own accord.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.