Prop 6 aims to ban forced prison labor in California

OAKLAND, Calif. - Proposition 6 is asking California voters to pass a ban on forced prison labor, which is currently allowed under the state's constitution.

At a rally in Oakland's Fruitvale neighborhood on Tuesday, former inmates and supporters of Yes on Prop 6 held a rally to explain why they support the ban.

"I served 25 years, from the age of 16 to the age of 41," said J. Vasquez of the Yes on 6 committee, who credits rehabilitation in prison for helping him turn his life around and stay on track after his release six years ago.

"I had about every prison job inside there; a porter, janitor, kitchen worker, laundry worker, teacher's aide," Vasquez said. "There were so many different times when I wasn't able to take victim impact, I wasn't able to take education college courses. I wasn't able to really work on the core issues that led me to prison in the first place, because labor was prioritized on the inside."

The California constitution under Article I, Section 6 states "Slavery is prohibited, and involuntary servitude is prohibited except to punish crime." Proposition 6 would change the language to "Slavery and involuntary servitude are prohibited."

Right now, prisoners can be forced to cook, clean, and perform other tasks that are needed to keep prisons and jails running. Inmates can receive up to $1 an hour for their work. Those who work as firefighters on wildfire scenes can earn as much as $10 a day.

Workers can also earn "time credits" that reduce the amount of time they serve in prison or jail. People who refuse to work or other activities can face consequences such as losing the ability to make regular phone calls.

Prop 6 does not stop prisons from giving people time credits for working. The proposition would also ban state prisons from disciplining people who refuse to work.

The state election site shows no one submitted any statements in opposition to Prop 6, but polling does not show overwhelming support for the ban.

"There's not enough education, so we wanted to make sure we spoke directly to Latino voters and stressed their importance and power as a voting block and do education about Proposition 6 in particular," said Frankie Ramos, a director of organizing for the group Communities United For Restorative Youth Justice.

The legislative analyst's office report said the financial impact of prop 6 is uncertain, because it is unclear whether a Prop 6 ban on forced labor would decrease the number of inmate workers.

Inmates do receive incentives to hold jobs, by getting wages and a reduction of time served.

The non-partisan Public Policy Institute of California published research this year looking at prison work and programs.

"About two-thirds of people who are imprisoned in California and then released have held a job at some time when they were incarcerated," said Heather Harris, a research fellow with the PPIC.

"On average, people only serve about 60% of their sentences in California and that's because, in part, they have opportunities to earn sentence credits for good behavior and program participation," Harris said.

Prop 6 supporters say California is one of only 16 states that still allow forced prison labor.

On Thursday, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) endorsed the proposition, along with labor leader Dolores Huerta, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Los Angeles Supervisor Holly Mitchell and Los Angeles City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez.

"I urge the voters to support getting rid of slavery in prisons and have more rehabilitation, especially for the women who need to have resources to reunite their families and move on with their lives upon their release. Support Proposition 6," Waters said in a statement.

California Department of Corrections sent a statement that reads:

"CDCR does not comment on proposed constitutional amendments. CDCR’s goal is for every incarcerated person to take advantage of positive programming and rehabilitative opportunities such as education, self-help, vocational and other programs. These rehabilitative pathways are intended to ease the transition back into their communities and reduce recidivism. Beginning April 16, 2024, CDCR increased wages of incarcerated workers as part of its commitment to preparing individuals for successful reintegration into their communities. The decision, informed by input from employees, incarcerated individuals, and community organizations, aims to allow incarcerated people to work fewer hours while participating in rehabilitative programs. The wage increase incentivizes job retention, supports restitution payments, and helps individuals save for their release. Additionally, all unpaid work assignments have been eliminated, and up to 75 percent of full-time jobs will transition to half-time positions. This change aligns with the California Model, which emphasizes public safety."

If passed, Prop 6 would go into effect on January 1, 2025.

Jana Katsuyama is a reporter for KTVU. Email Jana at jana.katsuyama@fox.com. Call her at 510-326-5529. Or follow her on Twitter @JanaKTVU and read her other reports on her bio page.