New proposition aims to eliminate forced labor in California prisons

A new proposition on the November ballot is aiming to end forced labor in California's prisons.

If passed into law, Proposition 6 would amend the California constitution to prohibit the state from punishing inmates with involuntary work, and from disciplining those who refuse to work - something supporters of the proposition call a form of slavery.

That group gathered Tuesday morning outside the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood to launch their campaign.

"They exploited our labor for 8 cents, 10 cents, 12 cents, 50 cents an hour and we return to our communities with nothing," said Susan Burton, founder of New Way of Life. "If we don't work, we're punished. If we do work, we're exploited."

The proposition calls for state prisons to set up volunteer work assignment programs that would take time off sentences in the form of credits and would have the county or city establish a pay scale for inmates in local jails.

Chasety Reynolds says she was formerly incarcerated and forced to work in the kitchen for 8 cents an hour and because of that, she missed out on rehabilitative programs.

"I'm voting on Prop. 6 because it means a lot for people that are still in there to get rehabilitated, to get the skill that they need to come out and be productive citizens," said Reynolds, who is also a fellow for All of Us or None.

"We have classes that we want to take to rehabilitate... that could help us, resources that we could get in prison... but we cannot take them because we have to work," said Kimberly Dunne, co-national organizer of Formerly Incarcerated Convicted People and Families Movement. "We have to wait."

According to CalMatters, of the state's roughly 90,000 inmates, the state prison system employs nearly 40,000 with various jobs and most earn less than 74 cents an hour.

What's unclear is if the state would be required to pay the minimum wage to inmates. This could cost about $1.5 billion annually, based off a similar measure that didn't pass in 2022.

"We're not in charge of the budget, so we can't speak to that," said Stanley Thermidor, the policy and advocacy strategist for A New Way of Life, when asked about the potential costs. "What we can speak to is we're going to vote yes on Prop. 6 to end slavery."

So far, there are no organized campaigns against Proposition 6.