California and Nevada will vote on ending forced labor for prisoners

Slavery and involuntary servitude are prohibited under the 13th Amendment, but there is an exception as a form of punishment for those convicted and imprisoned for a crime.

This means that minimum wage laws do not apply to them, so they earn pennies on the dollar of what non-incarcerated people earn. They could struggle to afford basic necessities like toothpaste or deodorant, according to Freedom Network USA, a nonprofit organization focused on combating human trafficking.

Freedom Network USA reports that 70% of prisoners cannot afford basic needs with their prison wages.

The hourly wage for inmates to clean jail cells, fight fires, make license plates or perform any number of tasks can be as high as 35 cents per hour.

In Nevada, inmates are mandated to work 40 hours a week, and refusal to work can lead to penalties including loss of visitation.

As for California, all prisoners are required to work, participate in a rehabilitation program, or a combination of the two.

In 2022, the California Legislature rejected a ballot measure that would have required prisoners to receive a minimum wage for their labor. This would have cost the state an estimated $1.5 billion to pay out.

However, in preparation for this ballot measure, Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed a law this year that requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to create a volunteer work program, which sets wages for people in prison. However, it would not go into effect until the ballot measure is voted on.

In 2018, Colorado became the first state to abolish involuntary servitude and slavery for prisoners, with Alabama, Tennessee, Utah and Nebraska following in its footsteps.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINATOR

It is estimated that American prisoners produce $11 billion worth of goods and services to the economy each year. Eighty percent of inmates do work related to prison maintenance.

“When you commit serious crimes, you are indeed giving up your freedoms,” Democratic California Sen. Steve Glazer said in 2022 as he negotiated the minimum wage measure. “And part of that freedom is that you have to help in the kitchen and prepare food for everyone, and I make no apologies for that opinion.”