California banned slavery when it became a state, but it made an exception.

From the beginning, California in its constitution has allowed forced labor as a form of criminal punishment.

Today, tens of thousands of prison inmates all over the state are working in a variety of jobs, from firefighters to cooks, for very little pay.

That could change if voters pass a ballot measure this November.

That would change the state's constitution to ban any kind of forced work.

Californians are talking about ending forced labor in prisons, in part because of the state's reparations task force.

That committee was appointed in 2020 to investigate the harmful and long-lasting effects of enslavement on African Americans.

It recommended banning forced labor as a way to erase enslavement from the state's founding document.

Proposition 6 would amend the California constitution to prohibit the state from punishing inmates with involuntary work assignments and from disciplining those who refuse to work.

There is some uncertainty about how the measure would affect the state budget in prison work programs.

Experts say it could open the door to forcing the state to pay more money to inmates with jobs.

Today, most of them earn less than 74 cents an hour.

Supporters say it's important for voters to put an end to forced labor 174 years after California joined the union as a free state.

They also say the state can avoid the cost of higher inmate pay by creating voluntary prison work programs.

There is no registered opposition to this measure.

A handful of republican lawmakers voted against placing the measure on the ballot.

Some have raised concerns about the potential cost of raising inmate pay.

So vote yes if you want to forbid the state from forcing prison inmates to work.

Vote no if you want to keep things the way they are.