Slavery in America: California Votes to Continue Forced Labor in Prisons

In a grim yet unsurprising update, California voters have rejected Proposition 6, choosing to keep forced labor legal in state prisons.

The Golden State, which is typically viewed as a beacon of progressive ideals, has decided to allow prisons to continue the practice of involuntary servitude, enabling detention centers to compel inmates to work under threat of punishment.  This decision defies the expectation that California would join other states in abolishing this form of modern slavery.

According to several outlets, 53.8 percent of voters said “no” to ending forced labor in prison, while 46.2 percent voted “yes.” States such as Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont recently moved to remove involuntary servitude clauses from their constitutions.

Assemblywoman Lori Wilson, a key proponent of the measure, described the proposition as a “moral obligation.” Despite calling the vote “disappointing,” she has vowed to keep fighting, declaring that this setback “does not end the fight” to eliminate forced prison labor.

Ironically, even if Proposition 6 had passed, prison labor could have continued, with inmates having the choice to opt in without penalty, potentially earning wages. A previous attempt to introduce similar legislation in 2022 was blocked after the California Department of Finance highlighted a $1.5 billion cost for paying inmates minimum wage.

While California chose to keep forced prison labor, it did vote in favor of other measures, including Proposition 3, affirming same-sex marriage rights, and Proposition 36, creating treatment options for certain drug offenses.