California voters have turned down a measure from the November ballot that sought to amend the state constitution to ban forced prison labor. Although the constitution currently prohibits involuntary servitude, it includes an exception for penal labor as a punishment for crime.
This exception has been criticized by criminal justice advocates, who argue that prisoners performing tasks like firefighting, cleaning, and landscaping are often paid less than $1 per hour. The proposed Proposition 6 was part of a broader reparations initiative introduced this year, aiming to address historical discrimination against Black Californians.
In September, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation within the reparations package that issued a formal apology for the state’s history of racism against African Americans. However, other efforts stalled. State lawmakers blocked a bill to create a reparations agency, and Governor Newsom vetoed a proposal intended to help Black families reclaim land unjustly taken through eminent domain.
