California Voters Reject Ballot Measure That Would Have Banned Forced Prison Labor in Any Form

Inmates at the Mule Creek State Prison interact in a gymnasium that was modified to house prisoners, in Ione, Calif., on Aug. 28, 2007. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

California voters rejected a proposition that would amend the state constitution to bar forced prison labor in any form.

The Associated Press projects that voters in the Golden State have rejected Proposition 6, with about 72 percent of votes counted following last week’s General Election. As of Monday, the ballot measure was rejected by 53 percent of voters.

Prop. 6, as it is called, would have amended the California Constitution to bar slavery in any form and would have repealed a current provision allowing involuntary servitude as a punishment for crime.

The U.S. Constitution bans slavery but says it’s fine for the government to force people to work—known as “involuntary servitude”—as punishment for a crime. Many state constitutions say the same thing, including California’s.

But that exemption became a target of left-leaning criminal justice advocates who are concerned about prison labor conditions. People who are incarcerated are often paid less than $1 an hour to fight fires, clean cells, and do landscaping work at cemeteries.

Several other states, including Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont, have in recent years approved constitutional amendments removing involuntary servitude exceptions.

The measure was sponsored by a number of Democrats in the state, and the state’s Democratic Party also backed it, urging its voters to mark “yes” or “si” in favor of it.

A previous proposal to remove the exception of involuntary servitude in state prisons as a form of punishment was blocked by the state Senate in 2022. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said that it would trigger an increase in taxes because it would force the state to pay prisoners minimum wage, which stood at $15 per hour at the time.

In 2018, Colorado was the first state to ban involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime. Since then, inmates have filed lawsuits seeking to be paid a minimum wage and alleging they were pressured into working despite health concerns. It’s unclear if those lawsuits have been resolved.

Aside from Prop. 6’s rejection, voters in California overwhelmingly voted in favor of Proposition 36, a ballot measure that would increase penalties for repeated theft offenses and some drug crimes. As of Monday morning, about 70 percent of voters backed the measure, compared with 30 percent who voted against it, according to The Associated Press.

In the presidential election last Tuesday, more voters in the Golden State backed President-elect Donald Trump than did in 2020. Trump was able to flip 10 counties that voted in favor of President Joe Biden four years ago, including Butte, Nevada, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Inyo, Fresno, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange counties.

The Epoch Times contacted Wilson’s office for comment on Monday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.